RAPID TEST. Personnel from the Marikina City government conduct rapid testing for Covid-19 on workers of some private companies in the city on Friday (May 15, 2020). The government has allowed some industries to resume operations under the modified enhanced community and the general community quarantine beginning May 16. (Photo courtesy of Marikina PIO)
MANILA – Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro on Friday ordered the conduct of mass testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) for all employees of private companies who are scheduled to return to work as Metro Manila transitions to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) beginning Saturday.
An initial, 1,000 private employees were subjected to Covid-19 testing using rapid test kits.
These workers are from shoe manufacturer C-Point, Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC), Inc., and Armscor Global Defense, Inc. Test who underwent tests conducted by the city government.
“Sinisigurado natin na ligtas ang mga manggagawa natin (mula) sa Covid-19 kaya nagkakaroon tayo ng ganitong testing bago mag-simula ang operations ng mga factory, mga industrial, manufacturing, at ang shoe industry natin (We want to make sure that our workers are safe from Covid-19 so we are doing this testing before the start of the operations of factories, industrial offices, manufacturing and our shoe industry),” he added.
Teodoro said the government and the private sector should work together to prepare for the “new normal” or MECQ, primarily taking into consideration the health of employees in their workplace.
He added they are currently balancing the biosafety and economic aspect of the community.
Teodoro also said they are still facing challenges as the MECQ, which meant the easing of quarantine protocols, does not bring back everything to normal.
He said that the mass testing will be regularly conducted, adding that the LGU will also conduct regular random testing by sampling to ensure in the future that their places are still safe.
“This is what we call surveillance testing,” Teodoro added.
All employees that will test positive for Covid-19 will be immediately brought to a quarantine facility so that they can be isolated and given supportive treatment so that their health will not be affected. (PNA)
