Nearly 800 gov't employees volunteer to man mega swabbing facilities, says task force
Almost 800 employees from the different government agencies have volunteered to man the mega swabbing facilities established for coronavirus disease patients, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 said on Friday.
NTF Deputy Chief Implementer and Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Vivencio Dizon thanked those who have volunteered.
"As of now, more than 700 or almost 800 have volunteered from different line agencies. We thank all the line agencies and employees of these agencies who have volunteered," he said in the "Laging Handa" press briefing.
He recalled that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdia issued an order asking all the government agencies, including government corporations, to help in the mega swabbing facilities.
Dizon, who was also named as the country's new "test, trace, and treat (3T)" czar, said the volunteers could help as encoders and bar coders, while those who have medical background could act as "swabbers."
He said those who still want to volunteer could call the hotline numbers of the different government departments, the Department of Health or 8888.
Dizon reiterated the government's call for volunteers from the private sector and those nursing and medical-related universities and colleges to assist in the government's efforts against COVID-19.
He said the DOH has earmarked compensation for them, including health protection for the frontliners.
Currently, he said the capacity for COVID-19 testing laboratories nationwide is 12,000 per day.
The official said the government is eyeing an average of 30,000 COVID-19 tests per day by May 30.
The Duterte administration is establishing four mega swabbing facilities in Metro Manila.
As of Friday afternoon, the DOH reported there were 10,463 COVID-19 cases in the country with 1,734 recoveries and 696 deaths. Celerina Monte/DMS
