Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday maintained that there were no lapses in the implementation of “Hatid Probinsya,” the program which has been blamed as the source of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the provinces, which were recently safe from the outbreak.
“Naubos po. Talagang sila po ang gumagamit ng testing kits natin na PCR at hindi naman tayo pumapayag na rapid test kits lamang… Kapag dumating na ito mabibigyan na nating ang lahat ng uuwi sa kanilang probinsya ng PCR tests. Pero sa tingin ko hindi lapse iyon,” he maintained.
[We are out of RT-PCR test kits because of the arrival of the OFWs, but we refuse to let them undergo rapid tests. When the PCR test kits arrive, we can let them undergo that. But I don’t think that can be considered lapses.]
House solons from Eastern Visayas sought a review and possible suspension of the program because of surge in cases in the provinces.
But Roque dismissed their worries.
“Siguro nagpapanic lang ang ilang LGUs natin kasi dati wala silang COVID case. Pero wala naman pong problema maski magkaroon kayo ng COVID case eh. I-quarantine niyo lang, isolate, at gamutin, ‘di naman problema ‘yan,” he added.
[I think the LGUs are panicking because from zero COVID cases, they now have COVID cases. It’s not a problem if they have cases, they only need to quarantine, isolate, and treat the patients.]
