A week into Luzon’s Enhanced Community Quarantine, there still seems to be a blurry sign of hope. We have laid witness to the social distance between the rich and poor. Locked inside our homes, we still have reports about the rising numbers of people positive with COVID-19. The politicians and VIPs secured themselves a priority spot in getting tested for the virus; while the frontliners along with high-risk patients and vulnerable communities are set aside.
The Angelite calls for the immediate push for free mass testing. This program will help in identifying the extent of the virus and will locate possible infection hotspots. Mass lockdown without mass testing is just mass imprisonment. The two mechanisms (social distancing and community quarantines) defeat their purpose when mass testing is not being implemented. The Director-General of World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus said it himself, “You cannot fight a fire blindfolded and we cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected. We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test.”
It is high time for the Filipino people to be of utmost priority; to be given the accessible healthcare, support for the survival of families, and protection most especially the frontliners who risk their lives to save the Filipino people from this pandemic.