Guidelines for the Conduct of the Expanded Testing Procedures for COVID-19

April 13, 2020

DILG MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 073-20

 

1. Background

1.1. Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution, which declares that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them;

1.2. Republic Act No. 11469, or the "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act," has placed the country in a State of National Emergency, and has declared the urgent need to: (a) mitigate, if not contain, the transmission of COVID-19; (b) undertake measures that will prevent the overburdening of the healthcare system; (c) immediately and amply provide healthcare, including medical tests and treatments, to COVID-19 patients, persons under investigation (PUIs), or persons under monitoring (PUMs); (d) ensure that there is sufficient, adequate and readily available funding to undertake the foregoing; (e) partner with the private sector and other stakeholders to deliver these measures and programs quickly and efficiently; and (h) n promote and protect the collective interests of all Filipinos in these challenging times;

1.3. Memorandum Circular 2020-062, issued by this Department on March 21, 2020, providing for suppletory guidelines for local government units (LGUs) in the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in the Philippines;

1.4. Department Memorandum 2020-0151 issued by the Department of Health on March 31, 2020, regarding the Interim Guidelines on Expanded Testing for COVID-19. aScITE

2. Purpose

This Memorandum Circular is issued to direct the Chief of the Philippine National Police, the Chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection, and all Local Government Units (LGUs) to fully assist and cooperate with the DOH in the conduct of the expanded testing for COVID-19.

3. Policy Content and Guidelines

3.1. All LGUs shall fully assist and cooperate with the Department of Health and all health personnel in carrying out the interim guidelines for the conduct of the expanded testing for COVID-19.

3.2. Consistent with the previous issuances of the Department and other pertinent government agencies on the matter, all LGUs are hereby tasked to set the necessary platforms and facilities for the expanded testing procedures for COVID-19 starting 14 April 2020. All LGUs are advised to undertake the following preparations:

3.2.1. Increase the number of trained Contact Tracing Teams (CTTs).Each LGU are directed to organize CTT primarily established to conduct contact tracing for all persons with (1) known exposure to a COVID-19 patient to ensure that they are strictly observing the home-quarantine measures; (2) monitor the status of Person Under Investigation (PUI),Person Under Monitoring (PUM),family members with known contact to a confirmed case to mitigate possibility of contagion, and (3) report daily update to the COVID-19 Provincial and Regional Task Forces.

The CTT shall be led by the PNP Chief of Police and assisted by City/Municipal Health Officer, with the following members:

1. Staff from PNP City/Municipal Police Station

2. Staff from City/Municipal Health Office

3. Staff from Bureau of Fire Protection

4. City/Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer

5. City/Municipal/Barangay Health Worker

6. Barangay Health Emergency Response Team Member

7. Barangay Public Safety Officer

3.2.2. Increase number of LGU trained personnel to conduct swabbing and specimen collection to assist the Local Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (LESU). n The LGU personnel shall be trained by the Regional/Provincial/City/Municipal Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit.

3.2.3. Establish functionality of the Ligtas COVID-19 Center (Community Quarantine Facility) by ensuring a conducive environment for recovery, adequate medical personnel manning the facility, personal protective equipment, necessary medicines, medical apparatus, and support services consistent with the IATF-MEID Resolution No. 16 dated 27 March 2020 and DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-064.

3.3. Since the COVID-19 Testing Kits are still limited and there is an increasing demand for testing, the Conduct of the Expanded Testing for COVID-19 will STRICTLY follow this order of priority: HEITAD

3.3.1. 1st Priority — All patients including medical professionals and health workers that exhibits severe to critical symptoms of COVID-19 with known travel history or contact to a positive patient.

3.3.2. 2ndPriority — All medical professionals and healthcare workers with mild symptoms and known exposure to a positive patient. And all patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 classified as PUIs who are (1) known to be high-risks with pre-existing medical conditions and/or member of the vulnerable groups [i.e.,senior citizen, pregnant, with co-morbidities] and, (2) with known travel history or contact to a positive patient.

3.3.3. 3rd Priority — All medical professionals and health workers with no symptoms (asymptomatic) but with known exposure to a positive patient. And all patients with no symptoms (asymptomatic) with known travel history or contact to a positive patient.

3.4. After the conduct of the test, COVID-19 positive patients and PUIs will be confined to an isolation facility to be established by respective LGUs and shall be medically managed consistent to the guidelines set by the Department of Health in DOH Memorandum No. 2020-0108 entitled "Guidelines for Management of Patients with Possible and Confirmed COVID-19" among other pertinent issuance on the matter. The appropriate isolation facility depend upon the severity of the patient's condition, to wit:

 

Condition	Required Isolation Facility
Severe and critical	Level 2 and 3 Hospitals
Mild but high risk
Confirmed cases with mild symptoms and asymptomatic	Level 1 Hospital/Ligtas COVID-19 Center for confirmed cases (LGU-managed Temporary Treatment Facility)
PUIs with mild symptoms	Level 1 Hospital/Ligtas COVID-19 Center for PUIs (LGU-managed Temporary Treatment Facility)

 

3.4.1. The Ligtas COVID-19 Centers must be conducive for patients to fully recover from the disease and must have adequate medical and psychological support team to address all the needs of the patient in isolation.

3.4.2. All personnel manning the Ligtas COVID-19 Centers shall wear proper personal protective equipment at all times and shall observe strict infection, prevention and control measures.

3.5. LGUs are likewise tasked to (1) continue the contact tracing for those person in contact with a positive patients and ensure that they are strictly observing the self-quarantine; (2) monitor the status of Positive Case, PUIs, and PUMs; and (3) conduct the expanded testing based on the order of priority. The Barangay level LGU, shall use their existing census data for the determination of the at-risk individuals and for contact tracing purposes, with the goal of prioritizing those in close contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19.

3.6. All LGUs are required to submit a Status Report.

3.6.1. COVID-19 Municipal/City Task Forces shall submit a daily action report covering 12:00 noon to 12:00 noon every 2:00PM following the attached template/matrix to the COVID-19 Provincial and Regional Task Forces.

3.6.2. Each COVID-19 Regional Task Force shall submit consolidated report and analysis of data every 4:00PM following the attached template/matrix to the National Task Force COVID-19 through the e-mail address: [email protected]. ETHIDa

3.7. All LGUs are reminded to continuously monitor the strict implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine within their respective areas so as to avoid the need to conduct additional testing.

3.8. All LGUS shall strictly enforce the provision of DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-071, in consonance with the IATF-EID Resolution No. 18, regarding the mandatory wearing of face masks and other protective equipment that can effectively lessen the transmission of COVID-19, as well as the continuous enforcement and observation of social distancing measures in public areas.

3.9. Failure of LGUs to render the required assistance in line with the aforementioned guidelines of the DOH, shall be dealt with in accordance with Section 6 of RA 11469 and other relevant national laws and policies.

3.10.  All DILG Regional Directors and the BARMM Minister of Local Government are hereby directed to cause the widest dissemination of this Memorandum Circular within their respective areas of jurisdiction.

4. References

4.1. The 1987 Philippine Constitution

4.2. Republic Act No. 11469 or the "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act"

4.3. DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-062

4.4. DOH Department Circular No. 2020-0151

5. Effectivity

5.1. This Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately.

6. Approving Authority

(SGD.) EDUARDO M. AÑOSecretary

 

ATTACHMENT

Local Task Force for COVID-19

DAILY REPORTDate: ___________

(Needs to be accomplished before start of contact tracing activity)

 

COMPOSITION OF CONTACT TRACING TEAM

NAME	POSITION	DESIGNATION

 

No. of confirmed cases	No. of trained staff for contact tracing	No. of contact tracing conducted	No. of PUIs identified	No. of PUIs isolated	No. of PUIs tested	No. of Ligtas COVID-19 Center by LGUs	No. of Ligtas COVID-19 Center by NGA	No. of PPEs available	No. of RT-PCR Test Kit Available

 

(Needs to be accomplished during the conduct of Expanded Testing for COVID-19 onwards, to be submitted daily)

 

EXPANDED TESTING FOR COVID-19

No. of patients with severe/critical symptoms with relevant history of travel/contact	No. of patients or healthcare workers with mild symptoms relevant history of travel/contact and consider vulnerable	No. of patients or healthcare workers with mild symptoms relevant history of travel/contact	No. of patients or healthcare workers with no symptoms relevant history of travel/contact	No. of trained staff to do the swabbing/	No. of PPEs Used	No. of RT-PCR Test Kits Used

 

ANALYSIS:

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RECOMMENDATION:

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n Note from the Publisher: Copied verbatim from the official copy.

n Note: The LESU nearest to your area shall be the primary responsible to conduct the swabbing and specimen collection. Respective LGU health units are enjoined to render necessary technical and logistic support to the LESU.