Thread by @cnnphilippines

THREAD: Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque holds a media briefing | LIVE bit.ly/3dBr6cB

Tweets by our digital producers @gleefjalea and @pplmanuel

Roque to PhilHealth: Temporary tents in hospitals must be covered by in-patient COVID-19 packages

RELATED: PhilHealth says it will investigate reports of a hospital charging patients ₱1,000 per hour for staying in tents cnn.ph/3sLHLk8

Roque provides a list of isolation facilities set to open this week:

Roque says the DSWD has been continuing its provision of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and aid under the government's 4Ps program. DOLE, meanwhile, has still been providing livelihood assistance to disadvantaged/displaced workers

Roque says PH ranks 30th worldwide in terms of total COVID-19 infections and 19th in terms of active cases

Roque presents healthcare system figures for the entire Philippines and NCR:

Roque presents data on COVID-19 cases as of April 5, but says they have yet to fully see the impact of the travel bubble in the coming days:

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. joins the briefing to give updates on vaccine deliveries in the country

Citing Bloomberg's tracker, Vaccine czar Galvez says 673 million doses have already been administered worldwide

Vaccine czar Galvez says 1,468,200 out of 2,525,600 vaccines have already been deployed as of Q1.

He adds that 777,908 doses have already been administered

Vaccine czar Galvez says PH ranks fourth in Asean countries based on administration of COVID-19 vaccine doses

Vaccine czar Galvez presents the status of vaccine roll-out and deliveries 👇🏾

He says 1.5M Sinovac doses, 500k Gamaleya doses are expected this month. These may be delivered as early as next week

He adds PH hopes to receive 2M vaccines in April, 4,194M in May and 10.5M in June

Testing czar Vince Dizon says PH ranks third out of Asian countries with population of over 100M in terms of total tests per 1M population

Testing czar Dizon: Kailangan pa rin pataasin ang tests lalo na sa NCR Plus. Kailangang pabilisin ang turnaround ng tests

It's been a year into lockdown. But Testing czar Dizon claims mass testing would still not be ideal despite COVID surge, says this must be risk-based and targeted.

"Buong mundo, ang mga eksperto ay unanimous...ang broadscale testing beyond high priority testing makes no sense"

Testing czar Dizon presents data contrasting the country's total tests and cases

Testing czar Dizon says countries like the US that have displayed high turnaround in testing also displayed a high number of COVID cases and deaths.

Citing a group of healthcare professionals, he adds 'indiscriminate testing is neither feasible nor practical'

Roque on privacy of COVID-19 positive individuals: Hindi po talaga inaanunsyo kung sino 'yan, pero dapat may contact tracing. 'Yung contract tracers dapat ang magsabing na-expose sila at mag-advise na mag-isolate for 14 days. Mandatory po 'yan

Roque says 110 bed capacity for moderate and severe cases will be opened in Quezon Institute Modular Hospital later, to be led by some Cabinet members

Vaccine czar Galvez: Sa ngayon po, meron tayong 4 na-close na supply agreement. Fina-finalize natin ang supply agreement with Johnson&Johnson bit.ly/3dCLM3M

Vaccine czar Galvez says the 500,000 Gamaleya doses may include senior citizens once supply is shipped to the country

Roque: Lahat po ng nabakunahan are individuals spared from the disease. Pero ang warning po namin sa mga naka-first shot na, hindi po agad nage-epekto 'yan, it takes weeks kaya patuloy pa rin po ang mask, hugas, iwas

Roque says an IATF meeting will be conducted on Thursday, he adds a separate meeting will be held to discuss quarantine classifications

Testing czar Dizon: Nung nakaraang taon, naglabas ang Presidente ng EO para i-cap ang presyo ng RT-PCR test. Umaabot dati ng mahigit ₱10K kada test pero simula nun, pababa na nang pababa ang cost ng PCR testing

Testing czar Dizon on mass testing: Lahat ng eksperto sa Pilipinas at buong mundo, hindi inirerekomenda ang mass testing ng buong populasyon ng buong bansa. Kailangan risk-based

DOH technical advisory group's Dr. Edsel Salvana: Kung nahawa po kayo today, it will take about 3 days for you to test positive sa PCR

DOH-TAG Dr. Salvana: Ang problem kasi, 'pag nag-test tayo ng isang tao na hindi natin iniisip ang timing ng pagkahawa niya at wala siyang sintomas, you're in danger of clearing someone 2 out of 3 times na may COVID sila pero negative sa RT-PCR

DOH-TAG Dr. Salvana: Our tests are time dependent. Importante ang timing ng testing at kung sino ang tinetest natin

Testing czar Dizon: Tuluy-tuloy ang expansion ng RT-PCR labs. Pero ang ginagamit na tests, dapat alam natin kung ano ang ginagamit sa iba't ibang sitwasyon

Testing czar Dizon: Kaya tayo nag-augment ng antigen testing dito sa NCR Plus kasama ang Pampanga at Batangas para matulungan natin ang PCR labs natin na tinatamaan din ng COVID bit.ly/39HnlBe

Roque on ivermectin: Rehistrado siya pero hindi pang-COVID. Kung may problema kayo sa mga peste, sa mga aso, iyan ang binibigay

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1378650593300987905

Roque appeals to the public to wait for the decision of FDA on ivermectin's 'compassionate use' for humans bit.ly/3sMk2jI

Roque says the private sector must provide hazard pay to workers onsite during ECQ

Roque says DOTr will implement protocols on colorum vans to ensure that they will not promote COVID surge among passengers

DOH-TAG's Dr. Salvana: From an infectious disease standpoint, ginagamit namin 'yang ivermectin sa mga bulate. 'Yung formulation para sa tao, meron tayo niyan dito dati pero hindi na kasi ni-renew ng Merck bit.ly/3miavOO

DOH-TAG's Dr. Salvana on Ivermectin: Mag-ingat po tayo sa Ivermectin. Ginagamit po itong pangpurga ng bulate

DOH-TAG's Dr. Salvana adds Ivermectin, when taken in high doses, could lead to brain damage

Will Reps. Mike Defensor and other Ivermectin advocates in Congress be liable for promoting the anti-parasitic drug?

Roque: I will not give legal advice on something I'm not engaged in professionally. Importante, nai-stress natin ang mandato ng FDA

Testing czar Dizon: Ang very clear na sinasabi ng mga eksperto, dapat risk-based at targeted ang testing. Dapat may guidelines, may naga-assess sino ang dapat magpa-test

Testing czar Dizon: Hindi pwedeng tao mismo ang magdedetermine kung siya'y magpapatest, kailangan ito'y either irerekomenda ng doctor kung may sintomas ka or pasok ka sa guidelines na sinet ng mga eksperto

Roque: Ang PhilHealth, pwede bayaran ang testing kung medical, economic frontliner, may exposure at merong sintomas. At most, ang babayaran ay ₱300

Testing czar Dizon: Ang problema sa concept ng mass testing, pwede ako mismo ang mag-desisyon para magpa-test ako. It should be guided by a professional or very, very specific protocols set by professionals

Where did the gov't get the idea that mass testing is supposed to cover the whole PH population?

Testing czar Dizon: Kailangan merong guidelines kung ang isang tao ay dapat magpa-test. Hindi pwedeng ang tao mismo ang magdedetermine kung siya ay dapat magpa-test o hindi

Vaccine czar Galvez: With the global constriction ng AstraZeneca, most probably magkakaroon ng reduction. But hopefully ang mga nakausap ng DFA, especially sa Europe at US, hopefully, magkaroon ng fruition ang negotiation

Roque on health workers' pleas amid pandemic: Napakalaki po ng utang na loob natin sa frontliners, sila ang mga sundalo natin sa giyera laban COVID-19. Naiintindihan natin ang kanilang hirap...nagbibigay-pugay po tayo sa kanila, binibigay natin lahat ng pangangailangan nila

Roque on health workers' pleas amid pandemic: Sa Bayanihan Act, may mga benepisyo tayong binibigay sa mga magkakasakit, sinisigurado natin kumpleto sa PPE nang mapangalagaan ang kalusugan nila

Will Malacañang hold a dialogue with health workers?

Roque: Ang Presidente naman po ay bukas ang tanggapan para sa lahat ng mga Pilipinong may hinagpis. Patuloy po ang dayalogo [ng Pangulo] sa mga medical workers

Vaccine czar Galvez: We're expecting easing up of supply 'pag natapos na po ang pagbabakuna sa US, UK, India at Chin — ito po ang mga countries na nagpo-produce ng vaccines

Vaccine czar Galvez says there has been a slippage of at least 2 million vaccine doses for the country this month, as vaccine producers in other countries want to prioritize their own population

Testing czar Dizon on testing amid ECQ: Ang average natin ay lampas 52,000 per day for March 20 to April 2. Halos kalahati niyan ay sa NCR Plus. Syempre magtetest tayo ng higit na marami sa area na may surge

Testing czar Dizon says NCR testing averages over 10,000 per day before the surge, but now it's more than double: Kailangan talaga 'pag may surge, mas active tayo sa paghahanap ng kaso

Roque reads Duterte's statement on China's intrusion on West Philippine Sea: We will continue to resolve issues on Julian Felipe through diplomatic means (1/2)

Roque reads Duterte's statement on China's intrusion on West Philippine Sea: Whatever differences we have with China will not be an obstacle to the...deepening cooperation in pandemic response including vaccine cooperation and in post-pandemic recovery (2/2)

Testing czar Dizon says observation of minimum public health standards, speedy isolation and contract tracing help to address the surge in COVID-19 cases

Vaccine czar Galvez says herd immunity is being targeted in high-risk areas such as NCR, Region 4A, Region 3, Cebu, Davao areas, Region 6 and 9

Vaccine czar Galvez says A4 (economic frontliners) and A5 (indigents) priority groups will be included in the vaccine drive by May

Roque on impact of lockdowns: Too early to say na effective ang ating travel bubble. Mas mabuti kung makakuha tayo ng average [of results from the past week]

Roque on the President's contributed solutions to the rise in cases: Lahat kami ay guided by his wisdom. Sabi po talaga niya, mas nakakahawang mga mutation itong virus kaya kinakailangan talaga sabihan ang taumbayan na paigtingin ang mask, hugas, iwas

Roque on the President's contributed solutions to the rise in cases: Sinabi rin po niya gawin ang lahat para maparating ang bakuna at hinikayat niya ang mga LGU na makipagtulungan sa DOH

Did the price cap on meat products really help in bringing prices down considering it wasn't fully observed?

Roque: Mas naging mahal ang presyo ng ating baboy kung hindi tayo nagkaroon ng price cap

Roque says no information yet on whether the President has already signed the DA's recommendation to declare a national state of emergency due to ASF bit.ly/3rTA1v1

Vaccine czar Galvez and Testing czar Dizon reveal that they already got their second COVID-19 vaccine dose last March 29; say they still continue to follow health protocols even after inoculation

Vaccine czar Galvez on simultaneous vaccination of the first five priority groups by May: Sa focus areas pwede po tayo doon dahil it will take time kapag nagkaroon ng hintayan