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COVID-19 testing labs being set up in Zamboanga City
Three COVID-19 testing centers will soon be established in Zamboanga City to bolster the capacity of local governments in Mindanao to combat the disease.
These testing laboratories will be set up at the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC), the Department of Agriculture's laboratory, and a facility by the Philippine Red Cross.
The new centers aim to serve patients from the Zamboanga Peninsula and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, stated that the initiative is part of a national effort to enhance the government's 'trace, test, and treat' capabilities.
President Duterte ordered Galvez to visit areas with undetermined COVID-19 cases due to a lack of testing facilities and to assess their health situations.
The establishment of these testing centers is timely, given a reported outbreak within the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center, which has recorded 48 cases, including 45 persons deprived of liberty and three personnel.
As of Saturday night, Zamboanga City had a total of 59 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
City officials are coordinating with relevant agencies to address the recent surge in cases within the jail facility.
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