QC gov’t to launch one COVID-19 testing center per district

Each of the six districts in Quezon City (QC) will have its own testing center for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the local government announced Sunday.

The testing centers for Districts 4, 5, and 6 will be opened on Monday, while those for Districts 1, 2, and 3 will be launched on Tuesday after locations are finalized.

“We are opening more testing centers located in different districts so that we can accommodate and identify more residents who might have COVID-19,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement.

The testing center for District 4 residents was inaugurated last week at the Quezon Memorial Circle; for District 5, it will be at SB Park Novaliches; for District 6, it will be located at the University of the Philippines’ Asian Institute of Tourism.

The local government is eyeing 50 tests per day for each testing center on top of the targeted 1,800 to 2,000 swab tests per week, which includes tests that will be administered by local government hospitals.

The partnership between QC and the Philippine Red Cross will also be launched this week with 1,500 tests.

The QC Police District will also deploy 30 nurses and six medical technicians who will aid in contact tracing.

The additional manpower from the QC Police will help the city form a total of eight teams that will conduct house-to-house confirmatory tests.

QC residents who wish to be tested for COVID-19 must coordinate with their barangay health officers for initial interview and assessment. Priority will be given to senior citizens.

Data from the Department of Health show that 1,047 COVID-19 cases with 78 deaths and 103 recoveries have been recorded in QC as of Sunday afternoon. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News