Some 150 individuals have undergone the pilot community-based COVID-19 testing by the Quezon City government at the Quezon Memorial Circle on Monday.
The individuals are from 22 pre-selected barangays in the city and were divided into batches. They have had exposure to COVID-19 patients or have been showing symptoms for the disease.
“Pagkatapos ng triaging, kinukuhanan ng blood sample, pagkatapos kinukuhanan muna ng swab, and then after all the processes na dumadaan dito, derecho na sila sa Hope facility natin (After triaging, their blood samples are taken, after taking the swab, and after all processes, they go directly to Hope facility) for proper quarantine and care,” Project Director Joseph Juico explained.
The samples will be brought to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the results will be released after three to five days.
The Quezon City LGU is currently coordinating with Saint Luke’s Medical Center and the Lung Center of the Philippines for faster processing of the results.
They are aiming to test 1,000 individuals this week. The LGU is also planning to conduct community-based testing in other areas through satellite locations.
Meanwhile, the Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital in the city will temporarily stop admitting new patients as it is undergoing disinfection after 15 of its doctors, nurses, and support staff tested positive for COVID-19. The disinfection will finish in two to three days. – Report from Patrick de Jesus
