Valenzuela City has continuously conducted a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to at least 700 residents per day according to Mayor Rex Gatchalian at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.
“We do around 700 swab tests a day…we are already 10% or close to 10% of our population has already been tested,” Mayor Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian also said that they only use RT-PCR tests and are free for all Valenzuelanos.
Meanwhile, the city is getting ready for the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines and targets to inoculate 320,000 residents or 71 percent of the city’s population in a span of three months.
“Conservatively in 3 months but if it arrives earlier, we can double up the 76 teams that are supposed to do the inoculation and cut it even shorter,” Gatchalian said.
“We don’t think that the vaccine will arrive all at the same time that's why one quarter,” he added.
Mayor Gatchalian also said they tapped one cold storage facility in the city to do the logistics for them.
The local government started its online registration in January for residents who are willing to be inoculated.
As of Tuesday (February 10), the city has 280 active COVID-19 cases.