Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 10) — With the arrival of more test kits, Quezon City will start conducting next week COVID-19 testing starting right in communities that have cases under investigation or are considered vulnerable to the coronavirus.
The first set to testing kits — 1,300 kits from the Health Department — are expected to arrive next week. The QC government will also receive additional 1,500 test kits through its partnership with the Philippine Red Cross.
It is also in the process of procuring 10,000 swab kits and universal transfer mediums, where samples will be placed for testing.
The QC Health Department on Thursday said the first wave of tests will be conducted in areas that have the most number of patients under investigation. The city will prioritize people showing flu-like symptoms.
“We will test people with cough and colds, influenza-like symptoms o mga tina-trangkaso (or flu), and acute respiratory infection,” QCHD Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit head Dr. Rolando Cruz said in a statement.
The patients will be tested in the newly-installed “swab booths” in the city. The test samples will then be taken to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for testing, with results expected to be released in 2 to 3 days. The QCHD hopes to shorten result turnaround period as it establishes more hospital partnerships.
Those who have no means to do strict self-quarantine while awaiting their test results will be housed in “HOPE” — Quezon City’s temporary quarantine facilities — to avoid passing on the virus to their family members.
“We want to avoid a situation where the patient might infect a relative whose immune system is compromised. Those who have symptoms from urban poor communities, as well as those who will be tested positive, will be referred to our HOPE facilities,” said QCHD head Dr. Esperanza Arias said.
Quezon City now has 641 COVID-19 cases, 58 deaths, and 35 recoveries.
