LAB BREAK: City’s COVID laboratory to fill in for WVMC-SNL

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

 

The Iloilo City molecular laboratory is stepping in for the Western Visayas Medical Center-Subnational Laboratory (WVMC-SNL) which will temporarily suspend its operations this month.

Earlier, the WVMC-SNL said it will suspend COVID-19 tests on Dec 18-20; Dec 24-27; and Dec 30, 2020-January 1, 2021.

Because of this, Mayor Jerry Treñas said the Uswag Molecular Laboratory in San Pedro, Molo will continue receiving COVID-19 samples on said dates.

“In view of the foregoing, on the said dates the USWAG Iloilo City Molecular Laboratory will be receiving samples (a) from private and public hospitals operating within Iloilo City and (b) those endorsed by District Hospitals within the Province of Iloilo, as deemed necessary,” according to an advisory issued Monday.

The city’s laboratory will be closed on Dec 25 and 31 and Jan 1, 2021.

Meanwhile, the Iloilo City COVID-19 team reported two new cases on Sunday, the lowest so far in December.

Sunday’s figure is 80 percent lower compared to 10 cases a month ago.

“Yesterday, we recorded only 2 confirmed cases in Iloilo City, while 124 barangays were recorded having no COVID-19 cases in the month of December. A number of close contacts will be swabbed today to avoid further transmission. We will accept our locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) provided they take the swab test to ensure that none of our residents will be infected. Although the numbers are decreasing, we still need to strictly enforce the protocols so we can flatten the curve,” Treñas said.

As of Dec 13, the city has logged 161 new cases, 9.55 percent lower compared to the same period in November.

The daily average in new cases is also down by 7.14 percent, from 14 cases daily (Nov 1-13) to 13 cases this month so far.