WITH THOUSANDS of Covid-19 deaths since the pandemic in March and the rising number of new infections in the country, President Rodrigo Duterte said it is only now that he realized the importance of coronavirus testing for Filipinos.
“Alam mo ang importante pala sa totoo lang and I realize now it’s the testing — ‘yung swabbing pati ‘yung test,” he said in a recent presser.
It was unclear whether he was made aware by health experts that Covid-19 testing is indeed important to control the spread of the deadly respiratory virus. But Duterte vowed to bring down the cost or provide Filipinos with free Covid-19 testing.
“ Kasi mahal, I’m trying to figure out a cheaper way of doing it and I will discuss it with the Secretary of Health (Francisco Duque) and (retired) General (Carlito) Galvez (now the vaccine czar), how to come up with a cheaper swabbing and testing kasi magbayad ka mahal lalo na sa airport.”
“Ang problema noon in the early days ang sa airport which was really a mandatory thing for me na nagpunta doon, ang presyo ata mga two. So ‘yung iba tamang-tama lang ‘yung pera especially the marginalized — marginalized I mean is ‘yung tamang-tama lang, mga estudyante. So pamasahe pauwi airport, they are really content with the — contend with the extra expenses. So iyan ngayon ang problema,” Duterte pointed out.
He said one of the means to avoid and limit the spread of the virus, the government must provide for the well curative and palliative or whatever preventive measures and one of those is the Covid-19 testing.
Duterte also appealed to hotel owners and inns to allow Covid-19 patients to stay in their establishments for a quarantine period and said the government will pay for all expenses.
“Itong mga hotel na bakante tutal pagkatapos niyan, you can always decontaminate the rooms. We will do it for you. Arrange with the hotels na puwede mo munang gamitin lalo na sa panahon na ito. And to the owners of hotels, inns, motel maybe kung wala ng iba, nagkulang, to accommodate the Filipinos who are in need of help. I will assume the full responsibility of paying you pagdating ng panahon. I will see to it that… I will ask Congress, I will plead sa kanila na hanapan ng paraan bayaran kayo. And I will personally see to it that you are paid on time,” he said.
The president said there is a continuing spike in Covid-19 cases in the country despite strict quarantine measures and health protocols. “Ina-announce ko sa ating mga kababayan na there is a spike still. We have cases coming up every day,” he said.
The Department of Health reported over 8,000 Covid deaths since March with more than 440,000 total cases. (Mindanao Examiner)
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