Government must now triple efforts in quelling the new surge in COVID-19 cases by conducting simultaneous massive vaccination and free testing for Filipinos.
House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate aired the proposal as he noted a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections with over 17,000 individuals testing positive on Thursday, Jan. 6.
The Department of Health reported over 21,000 new cases the following day.
"Massive vaccination, should now be in tandem with free massive testing - both anti-gen or RT-PCR- using available funds for the 2022 budget. If they opt for home testing then government should give free antigen kits to families to help them detect the disease and isolate themselves if found positive," said Zarate.
The conduct of free mass testing has also been the appeal of the Partido Reporma under Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and several concerned organizations.
"The Duterte admin should no longer wait until the whole house is burned down before it sends the firefighters. We must act now and act fast;" Zarate stated.
"The Duterte administration should now stop splurging on war materiel and enriching the merchants of death. Realign more available funds on free vaccines, mass testing, serious contract tracing, immediate treatment and other wholistic and humanists health and medical interventions," he said.
Zarate bewailed the alleged fact that the country's COVID-19 testing is "largely demand driven, expensive and mainly dependent on privately owned laboratories that are out of reach for most crisis-strapped Filipinos."
He added that "two (2) years into the pandemic and several surges the daily testing volume is still between 20,000 - 30,000 tests, way below from the DOH's target of 90,000-100,000 tests daily."
As the clamor for free mass testing badgered government, the cost of antigen home test kits rose sharply.
Sellers created a temporary shortage of antigen test supplies that used to cost from P200 to P400 per unit.
The prices rose to P350 to P700 per test kit after hoarded supplies became visible again in the market.