Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8) – The Department of Health is targeting to purchase additional machines as it seeks to boost the country’s genome sequencing efforts, according to a health official.
The Philippine Genome Center has proposed additional two machines as the genome testing capacity in the Philippines remains limited despite the presence of COVID-19 variants, Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual briefing on Saturday.
Currently, the DOH can only run 750 samples per week, she added.
“Tayo po ngayon ay may move na para bumili ng additional na machines na ganito para mas madagdagan,” she said.
[Translation: We’ve already moved to buy additional machines to increase capacity.]
Earlier this week, the DOH said the Philippines logged 678 new cases of COVID-19 variants.
READ: PH records 678 new COVID-19 variant cases, but no India variant yet
In a statement, the DOH reported 289 new cases of the B.1.17 variant first detected in the United Kingdom, 380 cases of the B.1.351 variant discovered in South Africa, and nine new cases of P.3 – the variant first detected in the Philippines that is still under investigation.
As of May 4, the country has 1,075 cases of the South Africa variant, 948 cases of the UK variant, 157 cases of the P.3 variant, and two cases of the variant first found in Brazil.
