Mass testing in Benguet eyed

THE Department of Health–Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CAR) is planning for a massive testing for the novel coronavirus in Benguet.

Doctor Ruby Constantino, DOH–CAR regional director, explained the move was in response to a recent meeting of the Regional Interagency Task Force (RIATF) for Covid. It is a preventive measure in stopping the possible spread of the virus.

“As of last week, there is another plan to conduct an aggressive Covid-19 testing in the Province of Benguet particularly in Itogon, Tuba and La Trinidad, to which we have already provided 5,000 testing kits. As per last meeting with the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force headed by (Office of the Civil Defense) Director Albert Mogol and Benguet officials, it is only the municipality of Itogon that has yet to give us a schedule. We are ready to do this testing in Benguet because of the increasing cases so we continue to monitor Itogon,” Constantino said.

DOH-CAR has coordinated with Oplan Kalinga to assure the presence of isolation facilities once the province has additional positive cases.

The health department continues to support local government units that strictly enforce border controls to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“I sympathize with Baguio City that is always in the news having high cases of Covid. What is not mentioned is that Benguet Province also has a high number of cases. In our several meetings with Mayor Benjamin Magalong and our central office, we really appreciate all the efforts being done by the city to control. I personally agree with the statement of the mayor that we really do our best, but if the neighboring province where people come and go, in and out of the city does not do an aggressive measure in responding, we will have a hard time controlling this [Covid-19],” Constantino added.