INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) and Bloomberry Resorts Corp. said their respective operations in the country have started rapid antibody testing of their employees primarily for their protection and in preparation for their eventual re-entry into the workplace.
“Complementing the Philippine government’s thrust to help curb the spread of the coronavirus disease, ICTSI and Solaire partnered with the Tropical Disease Foundation (TDF) and Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) to screen employees for the COVID-19 virus, both for those who have been working from home and for those who have been working at the very front lines to help keep the economy moving,” the Enrique Razon-controlled firms said.
“Using a two-pronged strategy proposed by health experts — first, rapid testing will be done through point-of-care test kits, a diagnostic tool that measures antibodies from a blood sample in 10-15 minutes. While an emerging science, rapid testing works on the premise that antibodies can potentially be markers of past and active infections,” they added.
The two companies said for confirmatory testing, a second test using real-time polymerase chain reaction machine will be used to detect the presence of the actual coronavirus within days.
“To ensure that the samples are processed properly and the results are interpreted correctly, trained health professionals from the TDF and AC Health are supervising the entire testing process,” they said.
The TDF is currently working with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine to fast-track the validation and approval of its required laboratory certification to do coronavirus tests.
As soon as it receives the required accreditation, a memorandum of agreement will be signed between TDF, AC Health, and Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc. (BCFI), Bloomberry’s social responsibility arm, to process confirmatory tests at TDF’s facility, the two companies said.
“Our employees are our number one asset. As we try to overcome this most difficult phase and into the ‘new normal’, we do so without letting our guard down. Consistent with our aim of helping the country’s health infrastructure in tackling the extent of the pandemic, our decision to invest in mass testing will give us, our employees, and their loved ones the reassurance that they will have a safe working environment, which ICTSI and Solaire are well-known for,” said Razon, ICTSI and Bloomberry chairman.
To augment the much needed supply of the government for testing COVID-19, BCFI recently procured 100,000 test kits from China and South Korea approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
BCFI also donated P60 million worth of personal protective equipment and N95 masks to the DOH, which were then distributed to hospitals and medical frontliners across the country.
As a priority, ICTSI, Bloomberry’s local unit Solaire Resort & Casino, and other subsidiaries within the Razon Group continue to take care of and extend support to employees — complying with stringent safety and precautionary protocols to protect them and their loved ones against the pandemic, the two companies said.
“The group likewise continues to provide salaries and benefits for employees who are reporting onsite, and those who work from home,” they added.
