BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The local government of Bago City, Negros Occidental opened its first drive-through testing site for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19), citing a growing demand for the service amid the continuing rise of infections in the province.
The drive-through test facility is the first in the province and is located at the front yard of the city’s ABAP gym.
During the first day of its operation, more than 20 individuals had their specimens collected.
Bago City’s official public information page said the drive-through concept will not only provide faster service to the constituents of Bago but is also a much safer set-up because there is less face-to-face contact.
Glenly Casona, swab team leader and medical technologist of the City Health Office, said the target individuals will be swabbed inside their own vehicles.
Casona explained they cannot practically do house to house testing due to lack of manpower.
She also stated some of the city’s residents are hesitant to undergo swabbing because they are not comfortable with the presence of ambulance of medtechs wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) in front of their homes.
She said that with the drive through system, Bago City can save money purchasing PPE, adding they have to change it whenever they do house to house testing.
Residents of the city may avail themselves of the service for free provided they secure an endorsement from the Contact Tracing Team or the Operations Center of the City Health Office.
They are open Mondays thru Fridays from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.
During the afternoon, the CHO swabbers will conduct quarantine facility testing around the city for returning overseas Filipinos and locally stranded individuals./PN
