The Manila city government opened on Thursday its second walk-in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing center at Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center (GABMMC) in Tondo, Manila.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said both residents and non-residents of the city can get tested in the newly built facility as well as in the first walk-in testing center at Ospital ng Sampaloc and the two drive-thru testing facilities at Quirino Grandstand and in front of the Andres Bonifacio Monument.
Moreno said they decided to offer the service even to non-Manila residents to make their approach in fighting the pandemic more inclusive.
“I want you to be proud as a ‘Batang Maynila,’ na kayo ay mabuting kapitbahay. Kahit tayo ay tukod, kahit tayo ay nahihirapan, mayroon pa rin tayong tiyansa na maging mabuting kapitbahay sa ating mga kapitbayan,” he said.
The local chief executive stressed that those who wish to get tested will undergo a serology test, not a rapid test.
He said that this type of testing is better than rapid testing.
In serology testing, the samples are processed with serology testing machines manufactured by American healthcare firm Abbott. It has an accuracy rate of 99.6 percent.
The city government now has four of these machines installed at GABMMC, Ospital ng Sampaloc, Ospital ng Maynila, and Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital. This puts the city’s testing capacity at 89,600 tests per month.
Manila residents who take serology tests will be informed of their results via mail within 24 hours. Non-residents can pick up their results at the Quirino Grandstand. (Minka Tiangco)
