Some pregnant residents of Quezon City have been giving birth inside tricycles and other unsuitable environments due to swab test results being required by hospitals prior to their admission.

Mayor Joy Belmonte disclosed this Monday as she called on pregnant women in the city to take advantage of the city's free swab test program especially if they are already due.

"Ipinapaalala ko sa lahat ng QCitizens, lalo na ang mga may scheduled procedures sa mga ospital o sa mga malapit nang manganganak na may libreng swab test para sa ating mga residente," Belmonte said.

“Ginagawa nating libre ang testing upang hindi na madagdagan pa ang gastusin ng ating mga kababayang nangangailangang maospital," she added.

But the mayor clarified that only those who followed the prescribed procedure may avail of the city's free swab testing.

According to City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit head Dr. Rolando Cruz, residents who want to undergo free COVID-19 testing may book an appointment online through http://bit.ly/QCfreetest.

After filling out the form, the requesting individual will receive a call from a community-based testing (CBT) verifier to further assess the resident’s condition.

A confirmation text will then be sent notifying the resident of the schedule of the swab test that will be conducted in one of the CBT testing sites located in all districts of the city, the local government explained.

“Swab testing is strictly by appointment and no walk-ins are allowed to avoid overcrowding. This is also due to the limited supply of daily test kits allocated for this purpose,” Cruz said.

Cruz reminded pregnant women availing of the free test "to be conscious of their delivery date when booking a schedule for swab testing to avoid any unforeseen circumstance."

He added that pregnant women are usually told to book for swab-testing a week before their expected due date, but they are also encouraged to seek advice from their doctor or midwives at the nearest health center.

He said that once a pregnant woman books for free testing through the CESU, the unit normally schedules her for testing the following day.

"Valid pa rin ang kanilang test result hanggang 14 days kung lumagpas sila sa due date nila (Their test results will still be valid for 14 days even though their due date has already lapsed," he said.

Aside from pregnant women and other residents who plan to undergo medical operations and procedures such as dialysis, those who are prioritized for swab testing are close contacts of COVID-positive patients and persons experiencing symptoms.