Sen. Richard Gordon urged the government on Sunday to come up with a comprehensive plan on how to quell or at least control the COVID-19 pandemic amid health experts’ projection that this disease is “here to stay” even in the advent of a vaccine.

Gordon, chairman and chief executive officer of the Philippine Red Cross, said it is imperative for the government to form a policy to ensure that there will be sufficient hospitals, health institutions, and quarantine facilities to accommodate infected citizens as it beefs up its testing capabilities.

“Unang-una, kailangan meron tayong (First of all, we need to have a) grand plan on how we are going to quell COVID. And that’s going to be here, anywhere from this year to another four years. Maaari, kasi hindi aalis ‘yan (It’s really possible that this will never go away),” Gordon said in a statement.

“Kahit na may vaccine na ‘yan, parang flu ‘yan, parang pneumonia, kahit meron kang vaccine, meron pa rin (Because even if there is a vaccine for it, it’s like a flu or pneumonia, it is still present even if there is already a vaccine),” he said.

“Pero kahit umabot ng (but even if it reaches) four years, two years o three years, dapat my policy tayo diyan, ano ang gagawin natin para ma-combat ‘yan (we need a policy for that, what can we do to combat this),” he added.

Gordon stressed that with the expected rise in the number of cases due to the country’s increased testing capability brought by the opening of various molecular laboratories, the government should be prepared for it.

Because, he said, it is inevitable that there would be a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, especially if more people will have access to COVID-19 testing centers.

“Pag nagpa-test ang tao, magugulat tayo maaring umabot ng 100,000 ‘yan in three days kung saka-sakali or four days kung sabay-sabay magpa-test ‘yan at maaring tumaas ng tumaas katulad ng ibang bayan, (If the people get themselves tested, the numbers may reach up to 100,000 in three to four days),” he said.

Nevertheless, Gordon said he still believes testing is the key to get the economy going after the battering it took due to the pandemic.

“Hence, the need to undertake measures that would allow industries and business establishments to reopen but would also minimize health risks to the people, such as the employees,” he stressed.

“Testing is the key to reviving our economy,” he reiterated.