AFP opens Rizal Memorial quarantine facility

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) facilitated yesterday the opening of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum quarantine facility in Malate, Manila.

The 100-bed facility, which will house suspected carriers of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, will be manned by a medical team from the AFP Health Service Command.

The team is composed of four doctors, nine nurses and 17 medical aides. Six military officers and six enlisted AFP personnel will be joining the group.

“The AFP takes pride in our doctors, nurses and security personnel who continue to risk their lives battling the virus,” AFP chief Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. said. 

Mass testing

In San Juan, companies allowed to reopen may require returning employees to undergo testing for COVID-19, Mayor Francis Zamora said yesterday.

Under an executive order signed by Zamora, employers may require the mandatory testing of employees using rapid test kits.

Workers who test positive will be subjected to confirmatory tests using polymerase chain reaction testing.

“COVID-19 testing is not mandatory under the national government’s guidelines,” he said.

However, employers are required to screen their workers for COVID-19 symptoms, travel history and possible exposure to the virus in the past 14 days prior to reporting to work.

Businesses in Parañaque are also required to test workers for COVID-19, Mayor Edwin Olivarez said.