Davao City – The Davao City government is pushing for additional swabbing centers for the mandatory testing of F1, F2, and F3 generation contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 case to decongest the city’s main swabbing center.
“Ginapadali nato sa atoang district level ang ilahang mga district swab center para ma-decongest nato ang atoang Sta. Ana Swab Center,” Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte said during her regular program on Davao City Disaster Radio.
Duterte said that there is a need to open up additional testing centers to accommodate individuals in distant areas and to avoid overcrowding.
“Nakita nato nga dunay need gyud nga mag-open og mga district swab center para dili na layo sa mga tao. Diretso na sila sa mga district health center nila duol sa ilahang residential address ug dili mag congestion ang atoang main swabbing center,” Duterte said.
The mandatory testing for F1, F2, and F3 close contacts has started on Monday at the Sta. Ana Health Center. The said individuals were notified via Safe Davao QR (DQR) text message.
The city government has stepped up its COVID-19 mitigation strategies with its active case-finding and community surveillance, to prevent and control virus transmission in the city amid a surge of cases in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The city government has already conducted surveillance swabbing in different areas, especially in places where there is possible convergence of people like public markets.
Duterte said that the surveillance testing will also target business offices and police stations.
“Duna napu’y dako nga trabaho karon ang atoang contact tracing team. Kinahanglan nga ilahang masumpay-sumpay ang takud-takod para makita ang sinugdan ug last person, para maputol ang transmission,” she said.
With the high participation of the identified close contacts during the mandatory testing on the first day, Duterte hopes to accommodate more individuals, up to 1,000 per day.
“Makita na nato nga duna na’y effect ang pag increase sa atoang [COVID-19] testing. Taas ang testing, daghan ta’g nakita pinaagi sa atoang surveillance testing dinha sa atong mga targeted areas ug sa swabbing sa atoang F1, F2 ug F3 close contacts nato,” Duterte explained.
Recently, acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte ordered the mandatory swabbing of close contacts of confirmed coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) positive cases in the city, effective immediately and until December 31, 2021 through the Executive Order (E.O.) No. 20, Series of 2021, known as “An Order Providing For Mandatory Swabbing Of All F1, F2, and F3 Contacts Of An RT-PCR Confirmed Positive Case Of COVID-19 In Davao City.”
The E.O. aims to expand the testing of contacts beyond the F1 category as an attempt to control the transmission of the virus in the city. (City Information Office | Michael Manguhig, RPN DXKT Davao OIC)