Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 23) — The Department of Health should have set clearer guidelines on asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 cases as the government continues to grapple with rising number of infections, Malacañang said Thursday.
In his virtual briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the DOH has failed to give clearer guidelines on COVID-19 patients who are allowed to stay at home, while reducing health risks among their loved ones.
“Well I have to recognize that the DOH perhaps should have been clearer at the onset na stay at home if you have your own room and your own bathroom,” said Roque, noting that they are now acknowledging that such lapses may have contributed to the surge in infections.
“I think hindi naging malinaw kasi yung sinabi ng DOH that the asymptomatics and mild can stay home. Hindi nila nilinaw na you must have your own room and bathroom. Tingin ko isa sa dahilan ito kaya tumaas ang numero natin,” he said.
[Translation: I think the DOH was not clear in telling earlier on that the asymptomatics and mild can stay at home. They did not clarify that one must have his own room and bathroom. I think this is one of the reason why our cases still surged.]
Roque said they are now “rectifying” this by fully intensifying the government’s testing and tracing efforts, and boosting further initiatives under the Oplan Kalinga.
This program allows authorities to conduct home searches for COVID-19 patients and transfer them to local isolation facilities, in a bid to control the capacity of public and private hospitals accommodating cases.
Citing the remarks of testing czar Vince Dizon, Roque reiterated the government’s target to test every single person in Metro Manila and increase isolation facilities.
“Icacalibrate itong cases with building of more isolation centers. Wala pang two weeks na inannounce ang [Oplan Kalinga], napupuno na ang facilities,” he said.
[Translation: We will calibrate the cases with the building of more isolation centers. As we can see, it has not been two weeks since we announced the Oplan Kalinga program, and facilities are already getting filled up.]
Dizon bared Thursday that aside from government isolation facilities, they have also tapped hotels to accommodate mild and asymptomatic patients, in coordination with the Department of Tourism and local government units.
Over 2,000 hotel rooms from Sogo, Go Hotels and Astrotel Hotels in Metro Manila were made available for free so far, as long as patients coordinate with their LGUs for accommodation.
“Nagko-coordinate tayo sa LGUs, binabantayan 24/7 ng kapulisan, para siguraduhing hindi lalabas at libre rin ang pagkain,” Dizon explained.
[Translation: We coordinate with LGUs, police are available 24/7 to ensure that patients cannot go out. Food is also free for them during their stay.]
The Philippines has logged a total of 72,269 COVID-19 cases to date. A total of 23,623 individuals have recovered while 1,843 succumbed to the disease.
