JORDAN, Guimaras – The Guimaras provincial government put on hold its plan to subject to rapid coronavirus test all people entering the island province.
The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Guimaras chapter headed by Mayor Emmanuel Galila of Nueva Valencia town pushed for the suspension. It wanted to see the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) first.
The rapid test was originally scheduled for implementation on Oct. 5.
Its suspension would give Gov. Samuel Gumarin enough time to further weigh this new policy, said Vice Gov. John Edward Gando.
The order for rapid diagnostic tests on residents and non-residents entering Guimaras was contained in Gumarin’s Executive Order No. 67, Series of 2020 issued on Sept. 4 yet.
Gando said the rapid tests are “for purposes of surveillance” and not diagnostic “matagaan lang sang ginatawag ideya ang authorities about those coming in and out in the province.”
The entry and exit of people into and out of Guimaras is currently being regulated due to the coronavirus pandemic – covering three instances only:
* work in Iloilo City
* medical emergency
* delivery of goods and services
According to LMP-Guimaras chief Mayor Galila, mayors were questioning the use of rapid tests.
Mayor Eugenio Reyes of Buenavista, for example, cited the Department of Health position that rapid tests were not reliable in detecting coronavirus disease 2019 cases because of their high rate of false negative and false positive results./PN
