BY MARCHEL P. ESPINA
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise, the Bago City government has established a drive-through testing site to help control the spread of the virus.
This is the first drive-through facility in Negros Occidental.
A report by City Bridge, the Bago City newsletter, said that the testing station is located at the front yard of the historic ABAP gym.
On its first day on Wednesday, the team was able to swab 21 residents.
Mayor Nicholas Yulo said the facility is one of the initiatives of the city government to test as many Bagonhons as possible to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the locality.
It was the swab team that recommended the initiative to the city Inter-Agency Task Force, which was approved by Yulo.
Medical technologist Glenly Casona, City Health Office swab team leader, said that target individuals will be swabbed inside their vehicles.
She said they could not do the house-to-house testing due to lack of manpower, and that some of the residents are hesitant to undergo swabbing because they are not comfortable with the presence of an ambulance or medical technicians in personal protective equipment in front of their houses.
She said that with this system, the city can save money from purchasing PPEs since they have to change them from house to house.
Residents could avail of the service for free following the endorsement from the contact tracing team or the Operations Center of the City Health Office.
The facility is open 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. from Mondays to Fridays.*
