"It is obvious that every day we don’t hit our targets adds considerable burden on our already overwhelmed health care system. Over a year into quarantine, mass testing pushed anewHontiveros further renewed her call for an “official and national mass testing system," stressing that other countries were able to manage COVID long before they had access to vaccines because they focused on the fundamentals of testing, tracing, and isolating. "We need a national mass testing system that would prevent us from drifting so far away from our own goals," she said. When the testing system is in order, other measures can also be taken, such as trace, isolate, and of course, vaccinate." The figure represents only 0.94% of the country’s total population.

Source: Philippine Star June 02, 2021 04:30 UTC