The Philippines introduced a more aggressive testing programme for the coronavirus on Tuesday to locate what it said could be as many as 15,000 unknown infections, despite having implemented some of Asia’s strictest and earliest lockdown measures. Authorities have targeted several phases of ramped-up testing, starting on Tuesday with 8,000 people working at or admitted to Manila hospitals that were treating patients of COVID-19, a disease that so far infected 5,223 people locally and killed 335. Although the Philippines has Southeast Asia’s highest number of coronavirus infections and nearly 40% of its known fatalities, the government believes its swift move to close borders and put half its population under home quarantine may have averted a far greater toll and a healthcare disaster. The former military chief in charge of the national coronavirus task force said on Tuesday modelling suggested 75% of infections – or 15,000 people – had yet to be detected.
Philippines ramps up coronavirus testing to find thousands of unknown infections
The Philippines introduced a more aggressive testing programme for the coronavirus on Tuesday to locate what it said could be as many as 15,000 unknown infections, despite having implemented some of Asia’s strictest and earliest lockdown measures. Authorities have targeted several phases of ramped-up testing, starting on Tuesday with 8,000 people working at or admitted […]
