News Roundup 26 May 2020
May 26, 2020 • 3 min Read
WHO sounds alarm over ‘slow’ contact tracing efforts in the Philippines | PHISTAR.COM – A representative of the World Health Organization warned the national government that its sluggish contact tracing efforts were hampering the country’s progress against the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Speaking at an online forum hosted by the Philippine College of Physicians, Dr. Socorro Escalante, WHO acting representative, said: “I would say we are slow.” “We need to push harder and we really need to work harder,” she added, urging the government to double down on its efforts with the looming end of modified enhanced community quarantine at the end of May. The WHO representative said that contact tracing should begin once a suspect case visits a hospital instead of upon confirmation of lab results. “By that time, we have already spread the infection to many people and that’s really very, very late,” said Escalante.
Ormoc Mayor Gomez urges IATF to fix guidelines after Balik Probinsya mix-up | INQUIRER.NET – Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez urged the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to take the lead to ensure proper and speedy coordination among government agencies when it comes to transporting people either through the Balik Probinsya Program or helping overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) return to their hometown. On Monday, Gomez announced in a Facebook post that the national government suddenly sent them undocumented and untested individuals who availed themselves of the Balik Probinsya Program as their city is already COVID-19 free due to strict protocols. Gomez said he is not against the government initiative but decried the lack of coordination among the agencies. Gomez said he told Año on Monday night that they are willing to accept Balik Probinsya residents as long as they have documentation to confirm that the arriving folks are residents of Ormoc, that they have been tested for COVID-19 and that the results yielded negative.
Sen. Sotto to DOH: Justify the need for an P11.7-B budget for contact tracing | Manila Bulletin – The Department of Health (DOH) should justify the P11.7-billion budget it eyes for the hiring of COVID-19 contact tracers, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Tuesday, May 26. The Senate chief questioned the DOH’s request for P11.7 billion to finance the government’s contact tracing efforts, particularly the hiring of workers who will help in looking for the close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases. “DOH wants to spend P[11.7] billion to hire contact tracers. Mayor [Benjamin] Magalong’s excellent Baguio contact tracing did not need an amount!” Sotto wrote on Twitter.
Duque sacking pushed | Malaya Business Insight– Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday reiterated his call for Francisco Duque III to quit as health secretary following a report that President Duterte is looking for a new health chief. Lacson, one of 14 senators who want Duque out because of alleged incompetence, also said there are more than 170,000 licensed physicians in the country who can replace Duque as health secretary “who can be more competent and honest than him.” “They are all my candidates for replacement,” he said. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he hopes President Duterte “picks one with health expertise and no business interest.” Sen. Francis Pangilinan said he hopes that “the report is true.” “Our experience has been is that we don’t know the real score, given that Malacañang habitually says one thing first and then says the opposite in another breath. If true, then I’d say it’s better late than never,” he said. An association of private hospitals, in an open letter to the President, also called for Duque’s replacement because of controversies surrounding the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), of which Duque is chairman.
