CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) conducted COVID-19 pooled testing for detainees at all police stations in the city Wednesday, November 4, 2020.
Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementor of the EOC, said in a message to the media that the testing was conducted after five persons deprived of liberty (PDL) proved positive for the virus in the last 14 days.
The five PDLs are currently isolated in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facilities in the city.
“In view of the increase in the number of PDLs who tested positive prior to their detention, EOC is doing tandem testing among detainees from different stations for the purpose of knowing if there is existing transmission in these facilities. The results gathered will aid us with our next step toward making our facilities safer,” said Garganera.
There were 280 male PDLs and 36 female PDLs who were subjected to the pooled testing, the result of which will be released in the next few days.
Garganera said the pooled testing will help determine if there are transmissions in the detention cells and if there is a need for interventions from the EOC.
For the EOC, the monitoring and surveillance of these tightly enclosed establishments are necessary to ensure that there is no spot missed where the COVID-19 can grow.
The EOC also encourages police stations to intensely implement health protocols to prevent the spread of the disease.
Here are some photos of the pooled testing conducted in the 11 police stations in Cebu City on November 4, 2020, courtesy of the Cebu City EOC:
