Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 11)— At least two manufacturers of self-administered COVID-19 test kits have applied for the Food and Drug Administration’s approval, the Department of Health said Tuesday as it vowed the government is speeding up the review of the requests.
“Meron na pong dalawang suppliers or manufacturers that [have] applied for the CPR (Certificate of Product Registration) of these self-administered test kits,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media forum. “Pinapa-expedite na po ‘yan para magamit po ng ating komunidad o ng ating mga kababayan sa kani-kanilang mga bahay.”
[Translation: There are two suppliers or manufacturers that have applied for CPR of these self-administered test kits. We are expediting this so that our community and our people can already use these in their homes.]
The FDA started accepting applications for the registration of at-home test kits last week. The agency’s officer-in-charge Oscar Gutierrez earlier said guidelines on their use will be issued by mid-January.
Vergeire, for her part, reminded the public to practice caution when using the test kits as they are prone to “misuse and misinterpretation.”
“So antayin lang po nating lumabas (let’s just wait for the approval), so that our community also can be able to use this. But, just to warn, this still has to be used at the appropriate time,” the Health official stressed.
