Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) — The province of Bulacan hopes to start rapid testing for COVID-19 by tomorrow, governor Daniel Fernando said on Friday.
The province had set up its own testing center, which has three floors and a capacity of a hundred beds, said Fernando on CNN Philippines’ Balitaan.
“Hopefully by tomorrow, bubuksan na yung third floor namin. Uumpisahan namin doon,” he said.
[Translation: The third floor (of our testing center) will be opened. We will start (the testing) there.]
Some 50 probable or suspected patients shall be staying there, he added.
In a Facebook post, Fernando said they are expecting immediate approval from the Department of Health for the usage of the facility.
Quarantine facilities have also been set up by the province for suspected cases and frontliners, he said.
According to the governor, Bulacan currently has 299 suspected cases, with 252 in their homes and 99 confined in different hospitals.
Fernando added, as early as last month, he suggested the establishment of a testing laboratory per region to speed up the response to the virus as it spreads quickly, too.
“Hindi yung RITM lang, hindi yung San Lazaro lang, hindi yung Baguio lang. Kung mangyayari man ito by region ay magiging mabilis po tayo,” he said.
[Translation: (The testing) will not be done just by RITM, San Lazaro (hospital), and Baguio (General Hospital and Medical Center). If it will be done by region, we will get faster.]
As of April 16, Bulacan has 74 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Some 21 have died from the disease, while 3 have recovered.
