The Supreme Court today started conducting rapid testing for COVID-19 on its officials and employees.
Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta personally inspected the two medical tents, one outside the New Building and the other in the Old Building in Faura Street, Manila, where the employees were subjected to the COVID-19 rapid resting. The rapid tests on the Justices and officials of the Court were conducted in the Dignitaries Lounge.
Those subjected to the rapid test are those part of the skeleton staff or employees who are required to physically report for work during the community quarantine.
The setting up of the medical tents for the rapid testing in the SC grounds is in close coordination with the Office of the City Mayor. The Court is also in touch with other concerned government agencies which is very crucial should anyone be found positive in the COVID-19 rapid test.
“The rapid testing is the Court’s way of complementing the efforts of the government to curb the spread of the pandemic and to flatten the curve,” says Chief Justice Peralta.
The Chief Justice said that the Court has sufficient number of rapid test kits as he reiterated that most of its employees will undergo rapid testing once the Court goes to a full operation.
The rapid testing, conducted by the medical personnel of the Court who were provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), will take place daily until such time that all SC employees have undergone rapid antibody testing. The Court has more than 20 medical staff composed of physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.
The Court has recently installed two multi-function disinfection chambers in the Court strategically located at the lobby of the SC Main Building and the SC Centennial Building. The disinfection chambers, dubbed as “SC’s automatic frontliners,” are equipped with a non-contact infrared temperature scanner, an automatic hand sanitizer dispenser, and an ultrasonic atomization system.
(SC-PR)
