Persons who exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus or are close contacts of infected individuals should get tested to protect their families and co-workers, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said.

Año said getting a swab test is the best option than costly hospitalization or even death.

“It would be more dangerous if they refuse to get a swab test because if they turned out positive, they could infect their families and co-workers without them knowing about it. Once they get hospitalized, along with the family members they have infected, their medical bills could run in the millions of pesos, and worse of all, they could die,” he said in Filipino in a text message Tuesday.

Año was the first Cabinet member to contract the disease, testing positive for the coronavirus twice, in March and August last year.

He said the pandemic would not be controlled if people would keep avoiding swab tests, in reaction to reports that some people are doing away with RT-PCR tests because of its “inconvenience”.

The RT-PCR testing remains to be the gold standard for confirming the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

Año reminded the public that refusal to subject themselves to swab tests is punishable by Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

The penalty is a fine of between PHP20,000 to PHP50,000 or up to six months imprisonment. (PNA)