Brgys Labangon, Luz no longer part of rapid testing – Labella
A doctor shows a negative quick coronavirus test in a tent set up at the entrance of a hospital in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, April 15, 2020. | AP Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Residents of barangays Labangon and Luz in Cebu City will no longer be included in the Rapid antibody Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) because of the continuous conduct of mass swab testing in these areas.
Barangay Luz already logged 192 cases while Barangay Labangon has 125 cases.
This morning, May 5, 2020, Mayor Edgardo Labella signed Executive Order No. 75 to detail the process of the planned mass testing that is set to start on Wednesday, May 6.
Labella said in an earlier interview that the testing will target 23, 000 households with one representative coming from each of the randomly selected households.
However, the rapid mass testing will no longer include residents of Barangays Luz and Labangon because of ongoing mass testings in the two barangays that have so far logged the most number of infections in Cebu City.
Mass Testing
On Wednesday, the RDT will be conducted in 78 of the city’s 80 barangays in close coordination with the barangay officials.
Individuals who will be subjected to the RDT will be transported to the testing centers that will be located within the barangay like the barangay gymnasium.
Testing will include blood extraction for analysis.
The subject will then be directed to undergo home quarantine until after his/her test results are made available.
Those who will test positive for the infection will be made to undergo swab testing that is needed for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. If again tested positive for COVID-19, the patient will then be transferred to the barangay isolation center.
Contract tracing will also be done for immediate family members and close contacts of the COVID-19 patient.
Labella is asking for city residents’ cooperation during the mass testing because this will help the city government determine if there was already a need to lift the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). / dcb
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