THE Philippines is still far from reaching its target of having 30,000 tests a day for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by the end of the month.
Based on the latest data from the Department of Health (DOH), the country’s daily testing capacity currently stood at 9,516 a day as of May 22.
The number is sourced from the cumulative testing capacity reports of 31 accredited laboratories using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, and four laboratories using GeneXpert cartridges. There are 33 laboratories accredited for RT-PCR and eight GeneXpert cartridges.
The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), the country’s National Reference Laboratory, has the highest testing capacity, at 1,760 a day. It is followed by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) with 900 daily.
The National Task Force for COVID-19 has set the target testing capacity of 30,000 a day by May 30. The Department of Health has expressed confidence of meeting the goal.
Increasing the country’s testing capacity, according to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, is crucial in ending the pandemic as it will enable authorities to immediately isolate people with COVID-19.
“Early detection and isolation of new cases is critical to managing potential outbreaks,” she said Vergeire in an earlier briefing.
COVID TOLL UPDATE
The number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
The DOH on Sunday reported reported 258 new cases, bringing the total to 14,035 infections. There were five new fatalities (total 868) and 72 more patients who have recovered from the disease, or a total of 3,249 recoveries.
The disease that originated in China has spread to 216 countries and territories and has infected at least 5.1 million individuals and killed some 333,400 persons as of May 23, according to the World Health Organization.
Among Filipinos abroad, there was one new infection (total now 2,523), three new deaths (total 294), and one more recovery (total 897), according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. — With Ashzel Hachero
