QC expands free swab testing
Quezon City (QC) residents who wish to undergo free Covid-19 testing can now book an appointment online.
The QC government has opened an online platform for residents just to come forward and report to the QC government, especially if they are in close contact with Covid-positive patients or if they are experiencing any symptoms.
According to the head of the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit Dr. Rolando Cruz, this appointment system is in addition to the on-ground contact tracing being done by his team on a daily basis.
“We are continuously finding ways on how to strengthen and improve our testing efforts. And as we realize that more residents are getting sick and need to confirm their status, we decided to expand this free swab service,” he said.
To initiate the appointment, interested individuals should fill out the Reservation Form found at: http://bit.ly/QCfreetest.
Once the form is submitted, a call to further assess the resident’s condition will be made by the community-based testing verifier.
Lastly, a confirmation text will be sent, notifying the resident of the schedule of his or her swab test.
Cruz reminded that swab testing is strictly by appointment and no walk-ins will be allowed.
“Due to the volume of persons we need to test and the limitation in our test kits supply per day, we have to allocate our resources to those who need it the most,” he added.
Residents who will be prioritized for swab testing are close contacts or those who were exposed to Covid-positive patients, those who are experiencing symptoms, pregnant, dialysis patients, and those who will undergo medical operations and need Covid-19 test results.