Gov’t eyes COVID-19 “pooled testing” for all residents in Metro Manila

July 23, 2020

The government is eyeing to conduct RT-PCR testing to all the 14 million residents in Metro Manila, an official said on Thursday.

National Task Force Deputy Chief Implementer Vivencio Dizon said it is possible to test all the residents in the National Capital Region through "pooled testing."

"We can do it if we use pooled testing. I think it will come out in the review of the Department of Health," he said when asked by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque during the virtual press briefing if it would be possible to test for COVID-19 all the 14 million population in Metro Manila.

Aside from the NCR, he said pooled testing could also be done in other COVID-19 epicenters.

Under the pooled testing, he cited that if there is a group of 20, one of them will be tested.

If the representative of the sample turns out negative, the rest are "also  negative," he said.

On the other hand, Dizon said "if it turns out positive, the pool will be reduced. So from 20 (members), it will be reduced to 10. And if one of the 10 becomes negative, all the 10 are negative."

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases is targeting 10 million COVID-19 tests by 2021.

Meanwhile, Roque said the government is now "rectifying" its method in isolating asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

He acknowledged that the Department of Health seemed to be not clear before on the stay home policy for asymptomatic and mild cases.

"They (DOH) did not clear that you must have your own room and bathroom. That's why I think it is one of the reasons the number of (coronavirus cases) increased," he said.

"But we are rectifying it now. We have fully intensified our testing. You heard Testing Czar Vince Dizon. We might be able to test every single person in Metro Manila," Roque said.

"We just need to increase the isolation centers," he added.

The government said the only asymptomatic COVID-19 patients who are allowed to stay at home are those with their own room and toilet. Celerina Monte/DMS