THE Davao City Government would now include food delivery runners in the city’s coronavirus disease (Covid-19) case finding efforts.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said in a radio interview on Wednesday afternoon, May 6, that aside from those within the barangay communities, the City Government decided to include in the Covid-19 testing those working in the food delivery services.
The city would conduct a test on Thursday, May 7.
The mayor said there is a need to test them because they are considered as a possible carrier of Sars-CoV-2, the virus causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“Because anybody nga ga-tuyok-tuyok is a possible carrier (Because anybody who is going around is a possible carrier),” Duterte-Carpio said in a radio interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
The mayor, however, said a food delivery service company already initiated its own Covid-19 testing to its 100 delivery riders. Based on the result, no one tested positive in the testing using the rapid test kits.
In case there would be a food delivery rider who would test positive, she said it would still be discussed with doctors on the suspension of the food delivery services.
The mayor also said the city government is still discussing with health officials on adding a new layer on its testing method because using rapid testing kits is not fully reliable for testing if someone has the virus.
“But we deemed it ‘it’s better than nothing’. Naa man ta’y kit, ato nalang gamiton para sa mga tao na asymptomatic (Since we have the kit, we would make use of it to determine persons who are asymptomatic),” Duterte-Carpio said.
The mayor said the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is still the best way to detect Sars-CoV-2.
But she said the RT-PCR will only be used upon the recommendation of the medical experts.
She added the usage of the RT-PCR would be used depending on the confirmed Covid-19 cases on the ground, and the number of cases in a certain area.
Meanwhile, Duterte-Carpio revealed the following schedule of the city case finding activity: May 8 in Agdao Public Market; May 11 in Buhangin checkpoint; May 12 in Ma-a; May 13 in Talomo South; May 14 in New Valencia, Tugbok District; and May 15 near the Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Davao International Airport) and Tigatto in Buhangin District. (RGL)