Despite Cebu City missing target: Mass testing achieves goal

CEBU, Philippines —  The so-called strategic mass testing in three metro cities officially ended yesterday with Cebu City failing to meet its target by 15 percent and six of those tested in Lapu-Lapu City turning positive for COVID-19 in confirmatory tests.

Despite the missed turnout in Cebu City, the Project Balik Buhay (PBB), which is spearheaded by the Office of Presidential Assistant for the Visayas of Secretary Michael Dino and the Department of Health, still ended up achieving its desired target overall, running a total of 45,905 tests or 15.79 percent more than envisioned, thanks to Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu that provided the needed numbers to hit the goal.

Department of Health-7 chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said some 17,007 tests were run in Lapu-Lapu while 13,886 were run in Mandaue. The figures are 62 percent and 19 percent more than the targets set in these cities, respectively.

At the outset, organizers of the mass testing initiative aimed to test at least 10 percent of the total households in the three cities. Thus, the target was 39,645.

Cebu City, for its part, recorded 15,012 participants or only 85.61 percent of the total target which was 17,536.

“This is already ample data for us to be able to go through and we will already have a good representation,” said Loreche. “Kung sa grado pa, pasado na kitang tanan (As it is in school, we have all passed).”

Breakdown

Loreche said that as of Wednesday, the total samples tested for COVID-19 in the partner-laboratories of the three cities was 24,213.

In Cebu City, 6,653 samples were tested; 6,280 turned negative while 166 are for swabbing.

In Mandaue City, 9,682 samples were tested; 9,226 turned negative, while 171 are for swabbing.

In Lapu-Lapu City, 7,878 samples were tested; 7,615 turned negative, while 110 are for swabbing.

This means that a total of 447 or 1.8 percent of the number of samples tested in the three cities will require polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

Loreche said the number of persons who will undergo swabbing for confirmation is still expected to rise as results of the more recent tests come in.

6 positive in Lapu-Lapu

As of Wednesday, 229 of the 447 swabs were submitted to the DOH-7 molecular laboratory for COVID-19 testing. Of the 229, 84 are from Cebu City, 79 are from Mandaue City, and 66 are from Lapu-Lapu City.

Of the 84 from Cebu City, 32 were tested using RT-PCR and all were found negative.

Of the 79 from Mandaue City, 26 were tested using RT-PCR and all were found negative.

In Lapu-Lapu City, on the other hand, 54 were tested using RT-PCR. 48 were found negative, while six were found positive.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, in a Facebook post, said these six individuals are all  asymptomatic.

“Mao kini ang rason nga dako kaayong ikatabang ang gipahigayon nato nga rapid testing kay ato gayod masuta kung kinsa kadtong mga asymptomatic o walay gipamati nga nag positibo pero nagdala-dala na diay sa maong sakit nga pwede nilang matakod sa uban,” the mayor said.

Chan said their effort bore fruit since they were able to get the picture of the true health condition in the city.

“Nagpaabot pa kita sa resulta sa second batch nga ato nang napadala sa accredited hospital nga maoy gitahasan para mopadagan sa test,” the mayor’s post read.  JMD (FREEMAN)