The Quezon City (QC) government announced on Wednesday, Jan. 5, that the COVID-19 testing for symptomatic and close contacts slowed down due to an increased demand.
“We observed a rapid increase in the number of people who want to get tested, mostly from those who experience symptoms such as colds and coughs, which is also common during this season. The rise in the number of persons wanting to be tested also affects the turnaround time in receiving their test results,” QC City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU) head Dr. Rolly Cruz said.
According to the local government, the CESU will prioritize testing individuals who experience moderate to severe symptoms like difficulty in breathing to efficiently maximize the city's resources on test kits.
The CESU also announced that the registration for the free swab testing will temporarily be halted from Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. to Jan. 6 at 9 p.m., and walk-ins are not allowed.
Due to the increased demand, Mayor Joy Belmonte has urged her constituents who experience COVID-19-like symptoms to isolate and be patient on getting tested.
She also said that the city government is ready and hospitals, quarantine and isolation facilities, testing areas, and vaccination sites are being prepared for the possibility of another COVID-19 surge.
“Even before the year ended, the city government created Task Force Omicron dedicated to reinforcing the strategies and mitigating the spread of the virus,” the mayor said.
“We urge all to get their vaccine and booster shots so they may have increased protection against the virus," she added.
The city has also implemented an intensive communications campaign and opened more vaccination sites to encourage its citizens to get jabbed as soon as possible.
As of Jan. 5, the city has recorded 5,607 active cases or 3.01 percent of its 186,073 total number of cases, with 1,632 deaths (0.88 percent) and 178, 834 recoveries.