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MANILA – The Philippines needs to screen some 15,000 people for a possible COVID-19 infection, nearly a month after the closure of millions on its most populous island, a leader of the country’s pandemic plan said Tuesday.
Of the 15,000 potential “suspects” of COVID-19, about 5,000 to 8,000 are in Metro Manila, said COVID-19 Chief Response Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr.
The health department defines a COVID-19 “suspect” as someone who has symptoms of respiratory illness and travel or residency at a critical point in the disease or exposure to a confirmed or probable carrier.
The country has 102,000 test kits, and the government plans to buy about 1 million more units, Galvez said.
The Philippines confirmed 4,932 cases of COVID-19 as of Monday, with 315 deaths and 242 patients recovering.
The blockade in Luzon, home to half of the country’s 100 million inhabitants, lasted for 18 days until April 30 to stop the spread of the pandemic.
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