THE city government has added five more reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing centers to make access to swab tests easier.
The city government is set to start operating the centers today and they are located at the SIR Health Center at Barangay 76-A, Mintal Gym at Brgy. Mintal, Daliao, Toril and Ilang, Tibungco.
The swab specimens will be brought to Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) laboratory for processing.
Dr. AShley Lopez, Covid-19 Task Force focal person, said adding more testing centers will provide more access to those who might have been afflicted by the virus and would also eventually lead to controlling the spread of COVID-19.
“Sa karon man gud nga sitwasyon di pa ta motuo nga gamay lang ang atoang Covid [cases]. Naa pa gihapon na labi na sa atoang mga peripheries,” Lopez said on Wednesday over the city government-owned Davao City Disaster Radio.
Adding the five centers, he said, would decongest the Sta. Ana swabbing center that caters to an average of 500 cases a day as a result of the contact tracing activities of the city government.
“Ma ease out nato ang pila sa Sta. Ana swabbing center that caters about an average of 500 cases a day so diha pa lang naa nay risgo kay daghan kaayo maghulat,” he said, adding that the move is part of intensifying identification of positive individuals especially in high-risk areas.
He urged residents who feel they have the symptoms of the virus to go directly to the swab centers.
“We are still trying to reach out to targeted population, not mass swabbing. Kung unsa lang to mga nasa line list sa contact tracing report, mao lang tong gina allow namo,” he said.
