The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) on Wednesday strongly pushed for measures that will require the locally stranded individuals (LSI) to be subjected to rapid or swab tests for COVID-19 before being transported to their respective receiving provinces.
LPP president Marinduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco pointed out that COVID-19 cases have increased in some provinces with an influx of LSI.
He cited that the laxity of the health officials from the loval government unit of origin in issuing medical certificates to the LSIs have been a major contributory factor in the surge of COVID-19 cases in the provinces that have previously low incidents of the virus.
In an interview over GMA News, Velasco said that many receiving LGUs were unsure if the LSIs are negative for the disease or if they have undergone quarantine procedures.
With this predicament, Velasco stressed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) should provide for the expenses for the indigent LSIs stressing that the agency has enough funds for this purpose.
Velasco appealed to the affluent LSIs to shoulder their own rapid or swab tests since the government cannot afford to finance this for all the LSIs.
The LPP had requested the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to order the LGUs of origin to at least subject the LSIs to the less costly rapid tests.
Those found COVID-19 positive in the rapid tests should be immediately quartered in the isolation facilities.
With this proposal, Velasco noted that this ensures that the LSIs are negative of COVID-19 which will help prevent its spread in the provinces.