A TOTAL of 538 food delivery drivers in Bacolod City underwent a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for the novel coronavirus over the weekend.
Executive Assistant Ernie Pineda, cluster head on markets and Bacolod Quick Response Team, on Monday, November 30, 2020, said a total of 457 food delivery drivers underwent swab testing on Sunday and 81 drivers on Saturday.
The swab testing was held at the Bacolod Respiratory Operation Center in Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports Center.
Pineda said the swab results will be released on Wednesday or Thursday.
“We are doing this to ensure that our food delivery drivers are not carriers of Covid-19. They are delivering door-to-door, so we should ensure that they are not infected with the virus," he said.
He added those who will test positive for the virus will be extracted and transferred to the city's quarantine facility. Contact tracing will also be conducted.
Pineda said after the swab testing, the food delivery drivers resumed their deliveries.
He said on December 5 and 6, they will hold another set of surveillance testing for the transport group, personnel of Bacolod Traffic Authority Office and members of food delivery services who failed to join the surveillance testing on November 28 and 29.
In November, more than 1,000 market vendors from three major public markets and government employees underwent RT-PCT testing for the coronavirus.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia earlier said the fight against Covid-19 needs the participation and cooperation of everyone to succeed. It cannot be done by the government alone.