DOH allows PH Red Cross to release positive results directly to people tested for COVID-19

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 23) — The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has been authorized by the Department of Health (DOH) to release positive results directly to people tested for COVID-19.

In a statement on Sunday, the PRC said it previously notified those who tested negative for the virus, but sent out to the DOH the positive results because the agency is in a “better position” to “enforce government-mandated health and safety protocols.”

PRC chairman and CEO Senator Richard Gordon welcomed the DOH's approval, given the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the country.

"They may have been dangerously increasing community transmission of the disease. We have devised a mechanism for releasing positive results to the individuals concerned without compromising the necessary protocols,” he said.

Gordon said those who tested positive will also be given instructions and advice on how to keep themselves safe, adding that the PRC will consult with those concerned and give them psychosocial support.

In its latest update, the DOH said COVID-19 cases in the country climbed closer to 190,000 on Sunday, with 2,378 new cases confirmed.