MANILA – Health officials will spearhead the house-to-house search for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said.
Año, in an interview with GMA 7’s “Unang Balita” yesterday, said that policemen will be present but will only assist local government officials and health personnel in the search for patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19.
“Ang mangunguna ‘yung LGU at ang public health authority, pangungunahan ito ng city or local epidemiological surveillance unit kasi sila talaga ang mga expert dito. Pati ‘yung resulta ng contact tracing, pati kung sino ‘yung te-testing, ililipat o ire-refer sa ospital,” DILG chief said.
“Ang ating kapulisan naman ay mag-a-assist lang sa kanila para sigurado na ma-implement ang lockdown at sigurado din na maayos naman ‘yung paglilipat ng ating mga positive patients,” he added.
Año also said that visiting houses would only be done in areas where there is an outbreak or surge of confirmed COVID-19 cases and those that are under localized lockdowns.
“Gagamit tayo ng ambulansiya para diyan at pagpapaliwanagan naman natin ‘yung pamilya kung bakit natin ginagawa… Kailangan ambulansiya kasi violation ng protocol kapag mobile atsaka ‘yung pulis kasi hindi naman trained ang pulis diyan,” he said.
The house-to-house search is in line with the government’s “Oplan Kalinga” program, which seeks to transfer COVID-19 patients whose homes are ill-equipped for home quarantine to temporary isolation facilities./PN
