Quezon City residents urged: Get free swab tests

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government yesterday asked residents to avail themselves of free COVID-19 testing after a pregnant women had to give birth outside a hospital due to the lack of swab test result, which is an admission requirement for hospitals.

“I am reminding residents, especially those who have scheduled medical procedures or those who are about to give birth that we have free swab tests,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said. “We made it free to help the people in need of hospitalization with their expenses.”

City epidemiologist Rolando Cruz said those who want to avail themselves of the free swab tests can book their appointments through http://bit.ly/QCfreetest.

“Swab testing is strictly by appointment. No walk-ins are allowed. This is also due to the limited supply of daily test kits,” Cruz said.

Residents planning to undergo medical procedures such as dialysis and close contacts of COVID-positive patients are prioritized for swab testing.

“For pregnant women, we remind them to be conscious of their delivery date when booking a schedule for a swab test. This is free so we encourage them to avail themselves of the service,” Cruz said.

Pregnant women were advised to book for a swab test at least one week before their expected delivery date.

“Their test results are valid for 14 days if they went past their due date,” Cruz said.

Meanwhile, Belmonte encouraged residents to take videos of their COVID-19 vaccination following a viral video of a health worker bungling the immunization process.

“We guarantee that such incident will not happen here in Quezon City,” she said.

In the video, a vaccine recipient did not get the jab after the health worker failed to press the plunger that will push the contents of the syringe.

Belmonte advised residents to take videos of their vaccination to ensure that they receive the vaccine properly.

City health department head Esperanza Arias ordered vaccinators to show the syringe to the recipients before and after the inoculation.

“This is for their peace of mind,” Arias said.

Arias assured residents that the city’s vaccinators and volunteer health workers work in shifts to avoid exhaustion.