12 PUV drivers test positive for COVID in 'Swab Drive-Thru'

DAVAO CITY — At least 12 Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) drivers here tested positive for COVID-19 during the “Swab Drive-Thru” at the Davao Crocodile Park grounds in this city.

City Health Office acting head Dr. Ashley Lopez said Wednesday, May 5, in his program over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) that the active cases were detected from among the 2,300 drivers who have so far been tested through the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test from April 26 to May 3 as part of the intensified community surveillance of the local government.

He said this could be one of the reasons for the spread of the infection in the community since the majority of people here are public commuters.

“This is one of the factors that could potentially spread the infection because the majority of us don’t own private vehicles, so the majority of the workers will have to rely on public transport,” he said.

He added that even PUV drivers are vulnerable to the risk of getting infected due to their interaction with passengers, particularly those “asymptomatic” who ride the PUVs.

He said about 90 percent of those infected with COVID-19 are “asymptomatic.”

The Swab Drive-Thru is a 12-day free swab testing from April 26 to May 8 for taxicab drivers, van drivers, jeepney drivers, "habal-habal" or motorcycle drivers, tricycle drivers, bus drivers, other drivers of public ground transport vehicles, and motorcycle drivers of food and online item delivery services in this city.