Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro announced this Monday that their local government unit (LGU) has located a new building to be used as a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing center.
(DOH Says 30 More Laboratories Want to Conduct COVID-19 Tests)
They identified a 2-story building along Bayan-Bayanan Avenue in Barangay Concepcion Uno as a potential site for the city’s COVID-19 laboratory. The choice took into account the Department of Health’s recommendations for an appropriate testing site.
The DOH previously rejected Marikina City’s proposal of either the sixth floor of the Marikina City Health Office or inside the state-run Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, citing space and biosafety standards as justification.
DOH Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire also discouraged the use of a mixed-use building, as it could increase the risk of infections.
Teodoro said that keeping these in mind, the new building was chosen as it is newly-built with a floor area of 160 square meters. It is also a free-standing structure and located in an area that is lowly-populated and has no other offices sharing the space.
Teodoro assured that a dedicated ambulance would be on standby for the facility. He also mentioned that Marikina City already adheres to a risk assessment template for the planned testing center, including biohazard measures.
“Kailangan ma-test ang ating mga kababayan kung may COVID-19 sila para sa ganoon ang kinakailangang supportive treatment ay maibigay, para sa ganon ay ma-isolate sila at ma-contain — hindi na sila makahawa sa kanilang mahal sa buhay,” Teodoro said in a statement.
[We need to have our compatriots tested for COVID-19 so that we can provide supportive treatment and so we can isolate them and contain the virus — that way, they won’t infect their loved ones.]
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