PH’s Covid-19 testing capacity now over 5K daily

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor, 4 May 2020

MANILA – The testing capacity of laboratories for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has reached the 5,000-mark, a health official said Monday.

“As of May 3, nakagawa na po tayo ng 5,264 tests kada araw. Mas mataas po ito sa 4,501 tests na nagawa nung nakaraang araw, May 2. Hindi pa po kasama diyan ang output ng dalawang pinakabagong licensed na laboratories natin ang (we’ve performed 5,264 tests per day which is higher than the 4,501 tests performed on May 2. This does not include the output of the two new licensed laboratories,) UP-PGH Medical research laboratory and Singapore Diagnostics Incorporation,” Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in Covid-19 virtual presser.

According to the latest DOH situation report, the laboratories have performed a total of 113,574 unique individual tests as of May 3.

About 101,416 or 89 percent are negative and 11,917 or 11 percent are positive.

The other 20 DOH-accredited testing laboratories include the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City; San Lazaro Hospital in Manila City; Chinese General Hospital in Manila; University of Philippines-National Institutes of Health in Manila; St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City; St. Luke’s Medical Center in BGC, Taguig; Makati Medical Center in Makati City; Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City; The Medical City in Ortigas, Pasig City; V. Luna Hospital in Quezon City (in coordination with AFRIMS); and Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory in Mandaluyong City; and Philippine Red Cross in Mandaluyong City.

Also included are Marikina Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory in Marikina City; Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Baguio City; Bicol Regional Diagnostic and Reference Laboratory in Legazpi City; Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City; Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City; Cebu TB Reference Laboratory in Cebu City; Allegiant Regional Care Hospital in Cebu City; and Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.

“Sa tuluy-tuloy na pagtaas ng ating testing capacity inaasahan na nating bibilis na ang turn around time sa paglabas ng resulta ng mga specimens (The turn around time of the results of specimens will be faster with the continued increase in our testing capacity),” Vergeire said.

Earlier, the DOH said its testing capacity goal is 8,000 per day. (PNA)