PRC pushes for regular testing as IATF eases restrictions

Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Tuesday warned that even fully vaccinated individuals against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can still be “potential carriers” of the infection as it pushed for the restoration of mandatory testing for interzonal travel tourists.

“To beat this virus, we need to test regularly, isolate and treat the affected individuals, and vaccinate, so that people can safely return to work, can now go back to school, and the faster we can open our economy,” PRC Chairman and Senator Richard Gordon said.

Gordon emphasized that there is still a “high possibility” to infect the people who have yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccines.

“We still need to continue testing to separate healthy individuals from those affected by COVID-19,” he stressed.

He made the remark after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) relaxed its restriction by not requiring RT-PCR testing for interzonal travel for fully-vaccinated persons.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that under IATF Resolution 124-B, interzonal travelers who are fully vaccinated individuals are now only required to present proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination instead of COVID-19 test results.

PRC, the leading organization for COVID-19 testing, has now conducted 3,382,981 tests nationwide as of 6 July, contributing 23 percent of the total tests done across the country.