Filipinos call for mandatory mass testing amid surge in cases

Filipinos are calling for urgent action against the coronavirus outbreak through an online petition on Change.org that has gathered over 78,000 signatures as of Sunday, March 22.

The petition, initiated by Mass Testing Now PH and created a day before Luzon's lockdown began, advocates for mandatory mass testing nationwide.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Filipino scientists and health experts have launched their own petition calling on the government to conduct widespread coronavirus testing.

Scientists Unite Against COVID-19, led by UP molecular biologists, emphasize that mass testing is crucial alongside physical distancing measures to effectively contain the virus.