National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer Vince Dizon has recommended that  members of media should be included in the government’s expanded targeted testing for COVID-19.

“We have to test all of you. What we will do now, Senator (Richard) Gordon and myself, we will ask the DOH (Department of Health) to include the media as frontliners so that ‘yung mga tests niyo, sagot na rin ng PhilHealth,” Dizon told reporters during a press conference with Gordon at the Philippine Red Cross (PEC) Molecular Laboratory in Clark, Pampanga on Friday.

Dizon said the tests for media personnel should be covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Dizon, also dubbed by Malacañang as the testing or T3 czar (for test, trace, treat), reiterated his recommendation in an interview with reporters on Saturday.

“Kasi tingin namin, lalo na ‘yung mga media na sumasama, nagko-cover, dapat considered na kayo as frontliners,” Dizon said.

Dizon also said the testing among media personnel should be done every two weeks.

“Dapat every two weeks, nagpapatest kayo hindi lang para sa pamilya niyo, para sa inyo kundi para rin sa mga taong na-expose sa inyo, para siguradong COVID-free kayo,” Dizon said.

The testing czar  said that they will submit the proposal to the DOH in the next few days and he is hoping it will be granted.

“So isa-submit namin ‘yan in the next few days and hopefully naman iga-grant yan ng DOH,” Dizon said./Stacy Ang