Ilocos Norte Starts COVID-19 “Strategic and Targeted” Testing Instead

May 24, 2020 Provincial

To intensify its intervention on detecting potential carries of COVID19, Ilocos Norte has started its initial testing of medical and non-medical frontliners, and persons under quarantine (PUQs) using rapid test kits.

Ilocos Norte has procured 1000 rapid test kits for the first batch of testing, Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc said, adding, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go donated some 300 test kits too.

“I think we used roughly half of our thousand [test kits] in about a week,” Governor Manotoc said Friday.

Monotoc argued against the mass testing clamor, “our targeted testing is more prudent.

Currently, we don’t have confirmed cases and test kits are not cheap. It is not practical if we start to test everyone.”

The governor added their approach is to test those who are potentially exposed— frontliners, healthcare workers, personnel at the borders, those in constant contact with APOR (Authorized Persons Outside of Residence).

Though the provincial government vowed to meet the minimum number of individuals required to undergo mass testing in a given population.

To ensure PUQs are safe before going back to their families and the community, they will undergo repeat rapid testing after completing the 14- day mandatory quarantine.

At present, Ilocos Norte is taking vital steps required in opening its COVID-19 testing laboratory.

PCR machines and other COVID-related machines are still in the process of being operationalized, medical personnel are undergoing training, and the laboratory is still subject to the Department of Health’s accreditation.

In almost 2 months, the province has not recorded additional COVID-19 cases since the provinceannounced its first two confirmed pa tients on March 31.

Artemio A. Dumlao/ABN