Antipolo City Health Office outpatient dep't locked down after personnel test positive for COVID-19
By Nel Andrade
ANTIPOLO CITY- The city government has temporarily locked down the outpatient department (OPD) of the City Health Office for the second time in just a month, after some of its frontliners tested positive in COVID-19 rapid tests.
Mayor Andrea Ynares' office annnounced on Facebook on Friday (July 24) that some of the frontliners are considered COVID-19 probable after the anti-body rapid test they took turned out positive, prompting the local government to temporarily close the City Health Office's OPD from July 24 to August 2.
The OPD staff are now undergoing quarantine as they wait for the result of their swab test to find out if there are confirmed cases among them.
The medical check-up services for the "Balik Probinsya" stranded individuals and returning workers that need medical clearance, however, remain unhampered.
The social hygiene clinic and the animal bite clinic of the City Health Office will continue to operate, the city government said.
On July 6, the city government closed the OPD of the City Health Office after some of its doctors and nurses were infected with COVID-19.
Antipolo City free testing initiatives
Meanwhile, the city government said around 27,000 residents have availed of the expanded and targeted testing conducted by the local government.
Included in the testing were some 400 residents belonging to the vulnerable sectors from Piña Alley and Logcom in Barangay De la Paz whose communities were placed under enhanced community quarantine a week ago.
Some 1,500 individuals who are considered vulnerable, including pregnant womeń, senior citizens, diabetics, asthmatics, hypertensive patients, dialysis patients, those with HIV, and those undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, were also part of the group of residents who availed of the free rapid testing.
Those who would like to be tested are encouraged to book their schedule online through the Online Booking COVID-19 Test Centers: https://www.facebook.com/AntipoloFreeCOVIDTest/
As of July 23, there were 14 new cases recorded in the city, bringing to 215 the total number of active cases. There have been 287 recoveries and 47 deaths out of the 540 confirmed cases.