Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin blamed the mounting number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases on unregulated testing.
Stressing that the “pandemic became a business opportunity for some”, Garin, former Health secretary, said reliable testing has been drowned because it remains unregulated, resulting in many false negatives that contributed to the spread of the virus.
She noted that antigen testing, which was recommended only for symptomatic patients, is widely used even in Congress.
Congress was placed on a four-day lockdown starting Thursday, March 18, until Sunday, March 21, due to a spike in COVID-19 cases among its workers.
“Antigen tests which were recommended only for the symptomatics was widely used even in Congress. Our appeal fell on deaf ears,” she lamented.
Garin then renewed her call to the Department of Health (DOH) to use the allotted second dose as first dose to cover more people.
She said she made the appeal four days ago and was accepted.
‘’However, this remains a commitment. Until now, regional offices are awaiting for the official ‘go signal’ to use the vaccines. This is urgent. Such a waste of opportunity to save lives,’’ she stressed.
“Vaccines are badly needed. Every day is important. Why wait when we can utilize what is there. The next batch of vaccines can be used as second dose,” she stressed.
Garin maintained that urgency transcends to many people being protected and less people getting infected.
“Letting the City Health Offices and Rural Health Centers wait simply because some hospitals or regions are moving slow, is a mortal sin. Now more than ever we need to act with urgency,” she emphasized.
Also, to address the surge, Garin said mass testing and immediate isolation are needed, saying we should not expect vaccination to stop the surge. It takes at least two weeks from the last dose, for your immunity to build up, she explained.
"Now, more than ever, we need to test, test, test and government should facilitate immediate isolation,’’ she added.
Garin rejected the DOH's plan to recall delivered vaccines from provinces back to Metro Manila.
“I do not agree that we vaccinate only those areas with COVID surge. The virus does not recognize borders. What's happening in Manila is about to spread to other provinces, granting that it hasn't spread yet,’’ she said.
The lawmaker proposed the following solutions:
Mass testing to utilize the millions of test kits bought by the government last year;
Immediate isolation of positives; and,
Vaccinate with urgency all health workers, senior citizens and those with comorbidities
"Transferring the vaccines to surge areas only is not cost effective at this point of time. If it was done two months ago, it will work. Protection generated by immunization takes time. We should also massively vaccinate areas where surges are expected" she added.
"As grim as it may sound, we are in a worse position than when the pandemic started. Let us not make the same mistakes in our COVID-19 response,’’ she stressed.