The Department of Health (DOH) has recommended an additional testing for travelers entering the country.

“We already have recommended to the technical working group of the IATF (Interagency Task Force for Covid-19) that testing is needed as soon as Filipinos arrive from any country but we have to repeat the testing on the fifth day after they arrive before we release them to the LGUs (local government units),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Thursday in a mix of Filipino and English during a Laging Handa briefing.

Some of the close contacts of the United Kingdom (UK) variant patient tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) even if they tested negative for the disease upon their arrival in the country.

The additional testing, Vergeire said, would ascertain if the person is negative or positive for Covid-19.

Apart from testing on arrival, testing on the 5th day and the stringent observance of the 14-day quarantine would ensure that travelers will not spread Covid-19 to their communities when they go home.

On Wednesday, the DOH said the girlfriend and two other co-passengers of the UK Covid-19 variant patient aboard flight EK332 initially tested negative upon arrival before they tested positive for the disease.

Earlier, Vergeire noted those infected with Covid-19 may test negative with an RT-PCR (Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test if they are still in the incubation period. (PNA)