BAGUIO CITY - Around 3,000 persons from high risk sectors will undergo expanded testing for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that will be conducted by the city government on September 17 to September 19.
This was disclosed by Mayor Benjamin Magalong as he underscored that the city was continuing to find ways to sustain its expanded or targeted testing to locate more unwitting virus carriers, and administer control measures to contain transmission.
Magalong said around 2,000 persons in the city and 1,000 others in the neighboring LISTT (La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay) belonging to the different sectors considered as susceptible to the virus will be targeted for the second round expanded testing sponsored by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA)
He thanked BCDA President and COVID-19 Program Deputy Chief Implementer President Vince Dizon for the program slated on Thursday to Saturday, in collaboration with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).
Baguio's schedule will be on September 17 and 19, targeting 1,000 persons a day, while testing in LISTT will be on September 18.
After the first round of tests conducted last August 30, Magalong requested the BCDA to include the LISTT areas in the program given that their residents also go in and out of the city, and that they have socio-economic inter linkages with the city.
The BCDA said the first activity administered reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), or swab tests, to a total of 824 persons from high risk sectors.
With the expectations of more to be infected of the virus, Magalong assured that the city's anti-COVID-19 systems on prevention, detection, control and treatment will continue to be in place and will be adjusted or improved as needed.
He urged residents to continue doing their part in cooperating with the authorities by observing strictly all the health and safety protocols for their own and their family's protection amid the easing up of quarantine rules in the city.