DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez
MANILA – Companies may limit the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) testing to workers who are sick or having the symptoms of the disease as they resume business operations, the country’s top trade official said.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez made the statement as some economic activities will resume in areas that will be under general community quarantine (GCQ) starting May 1.
“We all come from a quarantine period, we are isolated for more than 30 days. If we are not sick, there’s a big chance that we are not infected,” Lopez said. “With this, we can return to work already.”
He added the government will let companies decide if they will conduct screening to all their employees or limit the testing to the sick or those with symptoms.
The DTI chief earlier said companies, not the government, will shoulder the expenses for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests of their employees.
The DTI and the Department of Labor and Employment will release this week the protocol on minimum health standards for companies, he said.
Lopez said the resumption of business operation in some parts of the country due to the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will help in stimulating economic growth.
“It will help our economic growth but not in the big way because (the) bulk [of the economic activities] is in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Cebu, and Davao, which unfortunately are still in ECQ,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government targets to conduct 20,000 tests daily by May 15, and increase this to 30,000 tests daily by May 30.
As of April 28, there are 7,958 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country. (PNA)
