ICTSI Manila starts antigen testing for employees
International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has rolled out rapid antigen testing for its Manila-based employees using Fluorescent Immunoassay (FIA), a new testing method approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.
The FIA replaces the rapid antibody testing which was conducted every two weeks since April last year. The new procedure uses nasal swabs instead of nasopharyngeal swabs to collect specimen and offers 96 percent sensitivity and 98 percent specificity. The results are available in just 15 to 20 minutes.
A total of 286 corporate and MICT employees underwent antigen testing on the first roll out of the new method last 20 January. The testing is scheduled weekly every Wednesday, which is the optimal time in considering the post-weekend activities of employees.
The initiative is part of ICTSI’s aggressive efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among its ranks. During the height of the pandemic in April last year, Enrique K. Razon Jr., ICTSI Chairman and President, spearheaded the implementation of rapid antibody testing for ICTSI and Solaire employees. In November, Mr. Razon joined the private sector initiative to purchase COVID-19 vaccines and pledged to sponsor 300,000 doses–half of which will be donated to the Philippine Government and the other half distributed to employees.
