‘Be vigilant, continue testing’ under GCQ

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion is urging the private sector to be more vigilant and continue testing as the National Capital Region and nearby provinces shift to general community quarantine (GCQ) starting today.

In a statement yesterday, he said that while more businesses are allowed to reopen, there are still risks of infection.

“I’m encouraging everyone to be more vigilant. A second lockdown will be devastating for the livelihoods of our MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and large corporations. The good effects of the government’s stimulus package will be negated if this happens. And what is worst is that many may lose hope,” he said.

He also encouraged businesses to test their employees for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“For us to keep the economy continuously open, we need to maintain clear visibility through regular testing of employees and LGUs (local government units) that we are helping. Whether we use RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) or rapid test kits, whatever testing methods are available out there that give us good visibility is what we have to do. We must use all the tools available to us at the moment to protect the lives and livelihood of our people and to effectively fight COVID-19. Let us not be complacent. The war is still on until we find a cure,” he said.

Concepcion is leading the Project Antibody Rapid test Kit (ARK) initiative that has taken steps to boost both rapid and PCR testing in the country.