Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said the city government would offer free RT-PCR or swab testing to frontliners in essential services as part of efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, the city's Public Information Office said Wednesday.
The "gold standard" of coronavirus tests will be free to the following: market vendors, mall employees, hotel staffers, restaurant workers, e-trike drivers, tricycle drivers, pedicab drivers, jeepney drivers and bus drivers, the Manila PIO said.
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On Monday, Moreno inaugurated the second molecular laboratory in Sta. Ana Hospital that is expected to make the processing of tests faster. Free RT-PCR testing is a "proactive initiative in balancing health and economy," he said.
“In order to allay the fear of getting infected with COVID-19, there is a need to assure the public that employees of these frequently visited establishments are COVID-19 free and thus spur economic activities,” Moreno said.
