City of Manila residents who are traveling back from their respective provinces are required to undergo swab or Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests before entering their barangays.
Starting January 2, 2021, Manileños are required to go directly to swabbing facilities in their respective districts to take the tests, according to a memorandum of Manila Barangay Bureau to barangay officials on December 29.
Returning residents should stay at the barangay quarantine facility and wait for the release of their results within the day or two.
Meanwhile, residents coming from Metro Manila cities are not required but encouraged to take a swab test, according to Dr. Arnold Pangan, the acting city health officer.
“If returnee will come from within Metro Manila: Returnees may volunteer to get tested, Manila Health Department (MHD) will accommodate them. If returnee will come from outside Metro Manila: Returnees are required to undergo swab testing,” Pangan said.
The test will be shouldered by the city government.
“Case to case basis naman po, if isang araw lang or overnight, and resident naman po talaga siya ng Manila City, then no need na, unless magpa-voluntary swab test siya. Dr. Pangan said they will accommodate them (It will be a case to case basis. If the resident will only stay for one day or overnight outside Manila, then there is no need for her or him to get tested, unless he or she volunteers),” City public information officer head Julius Leonen noted.
This initiative is part of the city government’s effort to curb the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Manila.
The local government said the swabbing or quarantine facilities and contact details are as follows:
- District 1 – Paez Quarantine Facility – 09618977816 or 09286731715
- District 2 – Patricia Sports Complex Quarantine Facility – 09179609112
- District 3 – Arellano Quarantine Facility – 09184044627
- District 4 – Dapitan Sports Complex Quarantine Facility – 09516729122
- District 5 – San Andres Sports Complex Quarantine Facility – 09178031925
- District 6 – Bacood Quarantine Facility – 09461430364 or 09086877105
Those who will test positive will be transported to quarantine facilities but will not be declared as a reported case where they live.
People who will test negative will be given a medical certificate. RJ Espartinez