The Philippines introduced a mo
re aggressive testing programme for the coronavirus on Tuesday to locate what it said coul
d be as many as 15,000 unknown infections, despite having implemented some of Asia’s strictest and earliest lockdown measures. Authorities have targeted several phases of ramped-up testing, starting on Tuesd
ay with 8,000 people working at or admitted to Manila hospitals that were treating patients of COVID-19, a disease that so far infected 5,223 people locally and killed 335. Although the Philippines has Southeast Asia’s highest number of coronavirus infections and nearly 40% of its known fatalities, the government believes its swift move to close borders and put half its population under home quarantine may have averted a far greater toll and a healthcare disaster. The former mili
tary chief
in charge of the national coronavirus task force said on Tuesday modelling suggested 75% of infections – or 15,000 people – had yet to be detected.