THE city government of Manila yesterday launched a walk-in COVID-19 testing center adjacent to the Ospital ng Maynila to boost its fights against the deadly novel coronavirus.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said the walk-in center will offer free testing to Manilenos and those coming from other areas, much like the two drive-thru testing centers at the Quirino Grandstand and the Andres Bonifacio Monument in Lawton.
“They can just drop by here, Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,”Moreno said. “They just have to line up to be tested. Kunting tiyaga-tiyaga lang (They need to be patient).”
“I want every Manileno to be good people to others, like how Manila is trying to be good neighbor to other cities. We cannot survive alone,” Moreno added.
Moreno said the facility will give peace of mind to those who want to be tested for the virus but are fearful of going inside a hospital and getting infected.
Moreno said similar testing centers will also be put up in the next few days at the Ospital ng Maynila,Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center, Ospital ng Tondo and Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital.
Moreno added the city government is set to purchase additional serology machines used to test blood samples for the presence of the virus that will be used in other testing centers to be set up in the next few days.
Manila had earlier acquired three such machines for P6 million each, now being used at the Ospital ng Sampaloc, Ospital ng Maynila and the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center.
Moreno also appealed for donations to sustain the free COVID-19 mass testing.
“Donations to the city government will be used to buy more reagents needed to test more blood samples taken from patients as well as testing machines,” Moreno said.
