This is a scene from the Rapid Mass Testing being conducted at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Gym in Barangay Punta Princesa on Friday, May 8, 2020.| Gerard Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella revealed that the city had conducted 4,995 swabs through contact tracing of positive cases in the 32 infected barangays.
This is at least 4,300 more than the supposed mass rapid testing conducted in the barangays.
During the COVID-19 virtual press conference on Saturday, May 9, 2020, Labella said that although the strategic rapid testing in the barangays had been low in the past three days, the city had conducted mass testing by the thousands.
Read more: Cebu City Health: We may not reach target of mass rapid testing
From May 6 to May 8, 2020, only 682 out of the over 4,000 target individuals submitted to the rapid test that would provide the Department of Health the scientific data to recommend the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Barangay chiefs said in separate interviews that the residents would refuse the rapid test for fear of cross-contamination, proving positive then be isolated from their families, and even the simple fear of needles.
The test is voluntary and even when some barangays have transportation ready for the residents, they would still refuse to take the test.
Read more: 219 submit themselves to rapid testing in Cebu City
Labella said the low turnout in the recent days was not something the city would worry about. Each barangay still managed to provide samples.
The city has sufficient data with continuous swab testings and contact tracing.
Labella also expects more individuals to submit themselves to the rapid test as the test gathers more attention in the media and social media.
“We hope for a higher turnout in the next few days, but in addition to the rapid testing, Cebu City has conducted massive swab testing,” said Labella.
Still, Labella urged the public that the residents to submit themselves to the rapid test in order to help the data gathering. /dbs