3,670 individuals join COVID-19 mass testing in Occidental Mindoro town

CITY OF CALAPAN––A total of 3,670 individuals participated in the COVID-19 mass testing dubbed “Aggressive Community Testing” in seven sites in Abra de Ilog town in Occidental Mindoro from Sept. 14 to 17.

The event, which offered free RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) testing, was organized after the town had a surge in cases in mid-August, said Mayor Eric Constantino in a video message Tuesday.

To address the hesitance of residents to be tested for fear of not being able to work if the result was positive, food support was extended and the mobile market was deployed in critical areas, with locally sourced affordable food, Constantino said.

For the indigenous folk not used to being swabbed, Mangyan health workers and employees helped out, he added.

The initial result of the mass testing showed 330 positive and 1,011 negative. But 2,329 test results are pending, said the municipal health office (MHO) Monday.

Several volunteers and test kits from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Arena Mega Swabbing Facility, Office of Civil Defense, Department of Health, and Philippine Red Cross arrived for the event.

The mass testing also accommodated residents of Mamburao, Paluan, Sta. Cruz, Rizal, and San Jose towns.

The Abra de Ilog town center, community hospital, public market, and some sitios (sub-village) were locked down until Aug. 31, while some areas had their lockdown extended from Sept. 1 to 11.

Still on lockdown in Abra de Ilog until Sept. 25 are barangays Poblacion and Wawa Proper (enhanced community quarantine from Sept. 11), Tibag and Balao (modified ECQ from Sept. 12) and the rest of the municipality on general ECQ.

As of Sept. 20, the Occidental Mindoro tracker reported 3,244 COVID-19 cases, of which 467 are active, 2,658 recoveries, and 119 deaths.

Leading in active cases were San Jose with 154, Abra de Ilog with 90, and Mamburao with 83.

The tracker also said Abra de Ilog had reported 276 COVID-19 cases with 177 recoveries and nine deaths. Not yet reflected in the MHO report were the mass testing results.

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