Taguig LGU opens drive-through testing in BGC

The local government of Taguig City has opened a drive-through coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing site in Bonifacio Global City, which aims to target residents who are unable to get tested in other testing facilities.

The drive-through testing was set up at the northeast parking area in front of Kidzania and beside CitiBank and IBM One World Place. It opened on Wednesday, April 29.

“We are making testing accessible to the most number of Taguigeños we possibly can. Testing is a very important part of a successful COVID-19 response. It saves lives," Mayor Lino Cayetano said.

Cayetano said that under the COVID-19 drive-through testing approach, Taguig residents must follow the following steps:

• Call COVID-19 hotline at 878-93200 or 0966-419-4510 where you will be assessed by the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CEDSU)
• Residents will receive a control number to be presented to the testing center
• Visit a drive-through testing facility (Lakeshore or BGC)
• Present digital copy of control number to receiving booth
• Proceed to the testing area to get tested
• Receive an anti-COVID kit with a monitoring sheet
• CEDSU will contact resident for results, three to five days after testing

Cayetano said if patients have shown COVID-19 symptoms, he/she would be instructed to go to the isolation area. An ambulance will be posted near it if hospitalization is needed.

The mayor said Taguig City has partnered with the Department of Health, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, St. Luke’s Medical Center in BGC and the Philippine Red Cross to ensure a faster COVID-19 testing procedure.

As of April 29, Taguig City has 231 confirmed cases with 26 recoveries and 15 deaths while there were 1,287 suspected cases. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News