The vehicles started lining up outside St. Anthony Church this morning even before the 9 o’clock start time for the free COVID-19 testing.
Today’s testing in the central village of Tamuning was expected to draw the largest number of residents for the ongoing COVID-19 community outreach.
Department of Public Health and Social Services program coordinator Bertha Taijeron said you don’t have to live in the village to get tested. Each community outreach is free and open to all, without a doctor’s referral and you don’t have to have any symptoms of the disease.
“Our nurses have been going down the rows of cars and they’re doing what’s called a medical symptoms check. And then once they do that, the cars continue to the canopy behind me and that’s where they do their assessment, their screening, their assessment labeling. Then, once they’re done with that process, they drive to the other canopy and that’s where they do the swabbing. And in addition to the drive-thru swabbing, we’re also doing a walk-in swabbing. And that seems to be going pretty well,” Taijeron said.
Gary Herrero said: “I think it’s a good thing, especially now that more things are opening up. People that are asymptomatic … at least we can find them before they’re out there spreading it. So it’s a good thing.”
The free community outreach testing continues next week in Barrigada on Tuesday again from 9 am until noon at the police koban parking lot next to the Barrigada Community Center.
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