Marikina starts rapid COVID tests in evacuation centers after evacuee tests positive

Marikina City has begun rapid COVID-19 testing in evacuation centers after a 68-year-old evacuee tested positive for the virus.

A total of three evacuees have tested positive for COVID-19, with their contacts testing negative.

Out of 110 individuals who had reactions in rapid tests, only three were confirmed positive via RT-PCR.

The initial positive evacuee, who is asymptomatic, has been isolated for medical treatment and is in stable condition.

Mayor Marcelino Teodoro noted that the first positive case may have been infectious even before arriving at the evacuation center, highlighting a need for clearer hospital discharge protocols.

The city is also monitoring other illnesses and has ordered medicines to prevent the spread of leptospirosis.

With 12,000 individuals or 3,000 families staying in evacuation centers after Typhoon Ulysses, the positivity rate is at 1.5%, which is within the WHO benchmark.