MikeLigalig.com

Press Release: National gov’t to fast-track approval of molecular labs in Palawan

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY --- The national government has vowed to expedite the accreditation of two molecular laboratories here that aim to scale up the COVID-19 detection capabilities of Puerto Princesa City and the Palawan provincial government.

According to Secretary Vince Dizon, National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer and testing czar, the application for the establishment of the molecular labs capable of Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing could be approved by next week.

While waiting for the RT-PCR machines to be operational, Dizon said the local government must intensify current early detection efforts in order to contain and bring down COVID-19 cases.

As of May 18, the city has registered 571 active cases.

“With limited testing capacity here in Palawan, talagang wala tayong choice. Mag-Antigen (testing) tayo, mag-screen tayo (ng cases), pag positive, i-isolate na kaagad. No need for (a) confirmatory test,” Dizon said during the NTF’s visit to the province on Thursday, May 20.

Currently, city health officials said they are still running confirmatory tests for those who have tested positive using the Antigen test.

“Kapag negative, ‘wag muna tayong pakasiguro na negative siya. Bantayan mo muna. Kung symptomatic siya at nag-negative siya, i-isolate mo pa rin ‘yun,” Dizon said.

The testing czar added that the Task Force will supply Palawan with 10,000 Antigen testing kits, as well as additional GeneXpert cartridges.

Dizon said additional vaccines will also be given to Palawan so that more residents can be inoculated against the virus.

“Ang directive po ni (Vaccine Czar) Sec .Charlie (Galvez), ‘yung areas na mataas ang kaso, dapat mapadalhan natin ng mas maraming bakuna,” Dizon said.

Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary and treatment czar Dr. Leopoldo Vega advised the local governments of Puerto Princesa and Palawan to strengthen their Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment, and Reintegration, or P-D-I-T-R Strategy, in order to curb the current surge in cases.

“It has always been proven that if you can have a shorter turnaround time in detection, testing, tracing, isolation, you will bring down the reproduction cycle, or the R-nought (of the virus) to below 1,” Vega said.

“It has to be very fast. If you can do it in 24 hours, test-trace-isolate and even treat, the reproduction cycle of the virus will really be shortened,” he added.

On the prevention aspect, Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron said 250 COVID sheriffs have been deployed in highly-populated areas, as the city plans to hire 150 additional personnel to strictly enforce minimum health standards.

“We hired COVID sheriffs na ngayon. Mayroon kaming unused funds, ginamit namin doon. Napapaaway nga sila, tatakutin, tatagain (ng mga tao), pero pag naririnig kong napapa-away sila, isa lang ibig sabihin nito--- ginagawa nila ang trabaho nila," Bayron said.

For his part, Baguio City Mayor and contact tracing czar Benjamin Magalong urged LGUs to strengthen cooperation across their borders in order to better manage the COVID-19 situation in the province.

“Every time you open your economy, you will experience surges, lalung-lalo na po kapag tinamaan kayo ng variant. What is happening around you, 'yung mga adjacent (LGUs), kailangan talagang tulungan ninyo, because helping them will also help you, your situation,” Magalong said. ###


*Work from HOME and launch your own Wordpress blog, business or personal website, or online store at www.dreamhost.com Yes, FREE Wordpress migration from your existing web host.

START your OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.bluehost.com - FREE website transfer..

Latest Tubag Bohol Topics



Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=121237.0