The OCTA Research Team urged national and local governments on Friday, April 23, to intensify and expand testing, tracing, and isolation of coronavirus disease (COVID) cases to reverse the increase in community transmissions, and eventually shift to less strict restrictions in Metro Manila.

OCTA fellow Prof. Ranjit Rye said the National Capital Region (NCR) must double its daily testing capacity at the barangay level.

There is also a need to expand accessible and accurate testing to allow more workers to go back to work, he said.

"Fund and expand contact tracing efforts and ensure that a robust and effective contact tracing app for active case finding is utilized all over the country," he added.

"The government should also accelerate efforts to build isolation and quarantine facilities to alleviate the pressure on hospitals (as) mild and recovering COVID-19 patients can be cared for in these facilities," he recommended.

The capacity of the national and local health care system (more health care workers, equipment, and ICU capacity) to deal with the current surge must continue, Rye said.

"(In the) long run is to build more hospitals and hire more health care workers," he added.

He also reiterated OCTA's call to build the country's bio-surveillance capacity at the regional level.

"Local governments should continue to strictly monitor and enforce compliance with minimum health standards, such as physical distancing, the wearing of face mask and face shields and proper hygiene, and discourage large gatherings in order to reverse the increase in transmissions at the community level," Rye said.

Likewise, he urged LGUs to continue to tighten border controls in ports and airports, as well as controls within and among provinces to mitigate COVID-19 transmissions.

The private sector, he said, should continue to do its part in ensuring safe workplaces in the region and all over the country.

"Government should also work together with the LGUs and the private sector to accelerate the procurement and optimize the deployment of vaccines in the region and the country," he said.

Given the slow process of vaccination, Rye noted that the NCR will remain vulnerable to surges.

To avoid future surges, OCTA urged the national government to undertake an assessment of its response to the current surge to improve epidemic response management.

There is also a need to define an early warning system composed of circuit breakers or triggers to avoid experiencing another surge in the future, he said.

He said the government must allocate more funds and resources to jumpstart the strengthening of public health system at the national and local levels, and provide more resources and capacity-building for the LGUs.