Manila Bulletin
Valenzuela City mayor Gatchalian fears there are more silent 'carriers' of COVID-19
Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian is urging the Department of Health (DOH) to continue testing Persons Under Monitoring (PUMs) for COVID-19, expressing concern over potential asymptomatic carriers.
His appeal follows the DOH's revision of its case classification, which no longer prioritizes PUMs for testing.
Gatchalian revealed that five out of 40 residents tested in Valenzuela were positive for the virus, and all five were previously classified as PUMs without symptoms.
These new cases, identified as VC48, VC49, VC50, VC51, and VC52, include close contacts of a previously confirmed case.
He warned that excluding PUMs from mandatory testing could lead to the release of potential carriers into the community, increasing the risk of contagion.
Gatchalian believes that continued mass testing of PUMs is essential to break the chain of transmission and contain the virus.
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Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian initially expressed alarm over the Department of Health's (DOH) guideline excluding persons under monitoring (PUMs) from COVID-19 testing, as his city found five PUMs positive for the virus.
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Valenzuela City has launched the country's first localized mass COVID-19 testing program for residents suspected of having the disease, along with health workers and front liners.
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The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) will continue to report and manage Persons Under Monitoring (PUMs) for COVID-19.
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