156 health workers get coronavirus testing in Tarlac

BAMBAN, TARLAC–As many as 156 health workers in the province of Tarlac were tested for coronavirus on Wednesday (April 29).

It was part of the province’s expanded testing.

Respiratory samples were taken at Tarlac Provincial Hospital, Jecsons Medical Center and Central Luzon Doctors Hospital and brought to the Red Cross Testing Center in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila.

Earlier on Tuesday (April 28), 140 gave samples for testing while another 80 would do so on Thursday (April 30).

Test results would be out in 48 to 120 hours, said Arvin Cabalu, Tarlac information officer.

Tarlac signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Philippine Red Cross for the mass testing of 1,428 people classified as probably infected. The province bankrolled the P5 million total cost which translates to P3,500 per person.

Gov. Susan Yap said the provincial government would comply with requirements of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and not reveal the identities of those who would test positive.

Among the first priority of the tests are government health workers and employees of private hospitals who had been exposed to infected patients, village health workers and employees of the Provincial Health Office.

Listed as second priority are people who have interacted with COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 suspects with flu-like symptoms, family members of infected persons and police officers enforcing lockdown.

Edited by TSB