RT-PCR boosts Roxas City’s war on COVID-19

The Roxas City Diagnostic and Laboratory Center will give the local government a better chance in defeating COVID-19.

This was the message of Mayor Ronnie Dadivas during the inauguration of the laboratory on Oct 20, 2020.

The Roxas City Diagnostic and Laboratory Center is our strong and concrete response to the pandemic – our city’s fighting chance against CoVid-19. Having our own testing Center is the next best thing to a vaccine because this will facilitate a more efficient testing, contact tracing, and prevention of the spread of infection,” Dadivas said in his message.

The inauguration and blessing of the RT-PCR Laboratory was held in the presence of DOH-6 Regional Director Marlyn Convocar, OCD Regional Director Roberto Nunez, who also chairs the Regional Task Force on COVID-19, and other government and non-government organizations.

“This Roxas City Diagnostic and Laboratory Center is the 112th Laboratory in the Country, the 10th in Region 6 and the 1st in Capiz. This is the right time for the City to have its own diagnostic center. We should not be surprised if cases increase in Roxas City with the provision of access. It is a good sign so we can contain the disease. We should not be worried, ” DOH-6 Director Dr. Marlyn Convocar said.

Convocar also conveyed the DOH’s commitment to help us in sustaining the laboratory and offer technical and logistical assistance.

“We cannot control how this pandemic will progress or when it will end, but we can do everything that we can to cushion and lessen its impact on our people, our economy, and our City,” Dadivas said.

Roxas City acquired the relocatable containerized reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing laboratory for suspected and probable COVID-19 cases in September 2020.

The equipment was placed at Hurtos Botanicos in Brgy. Milibili where the quarantine facility of the city government is also located. The area also has a staff house for the lab personnel.