ADVISORY on RT-PCR Testing
Tabuk City Covid-19 RT-PCR testing Laboratory
With the surge of Covid-19 cases in the city and the province as a whole and not to discount the possibility of the highly transmissible Covid-19 variant, Omicron, there is a need to update previous testing protocols to maximize resources and to ensure continued availability of health and essential services. As stipulated in the provisions of Department Memo No. 2022-0013, “Updated Guidelines on Quarantine, Isolation and Testing for Covid-19 Response and
Case Management for the Omicron Variant”, TESTING PRIORITIZATION for Tabuk City Covid-19 RT-PCR Testing Laboratory will now be as follows:
- Testing, especially using RT-PCR, shall be recommended and prioritized for instances where the result of testing will affect clinical management. Specifically, this will include those who are at risk for developing a severe disease such as Priority Groups A2 (persons above 60 years
old) and A3 (persons with comorbidities). - Testing, especially using RT-PCR, shall also be recommended and prioritized for groups at the highest risk for infection such as Priority Group Al or healthcare workers as deemed necessary.
- Testing using Antigen tests shall be recommended only for symptomatic individuals and in instances wherein RT-PCR is not available, consistent with previously issued guidelines.
- Testing shall be optional for other groups not stated above, including for community-level actions wherein case management of probable and confirmed cases remains the same. Specifically:
- Testing shall NOT be recommended for asymptomatic close contacts. Instead, symptom monitoring is recommended. Should testing still be used, testing should be done at least 5 days from the day of last exposure.
- Testing shall NOT be recommended for screening asymptomatic individuals.
Please be guided accordingly.
Signed:
Dra. Henrietta S. Bagayao, MD, MPH, CESE
City Health Officer
