Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6) — The Health Department hopes to certify dozens more laboratories for coronavirus testing soon in addition to the over 50 facilities currently accredited.
“Sa ngayon po, meron na tayong (Right now, we already have) 52 na licensed laboratories kung saan po (wherein) 40 ay (are) RT-PCR labs and 12 are GeneXpert laboratories,” said Health Undersecretary and Spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire in a Laging Handa virtual briefing on Saturday.
There are 25 accredited laboratories in Metro Manila, reported national response against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. in the briefing.
The agency is eyeing to license some 58 laboratories from June up to the second week of July, the health official added.
Last week, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the country has increased its testing capacity to 32,100 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests per day as of May 20. However, Vergeire later on clarified this was the estimated capacity for the 42 total laboratories accredited at the time, and the actual testing capacity is 8,500 to 9,500 a day.
READ: PH surpasses 30,000 target daily COVID-19 testing capacity – Roque
The government is currently aiming to expand its daily testing capacity for COVID-19 to 50,000 after the 30,000 tests per day target was met by end-May, national COVID-19 response deputy implementer Vince Dizon told CNN Philippines last month.
Authorities say this goal will be met through the Test, Trace, Treat or T3 program, wherein government and private sectors work together to increase the Philippines’ capacity to test for the highly contagious disease.
Meanwhile, Galvez also reiterated in Saturday’s briefing that the government plans to test one or two percent of the country’s 110 million population for COVID-19 by August, which translates to more or less 1 million individuals.
The Philippines currently has nearly 20,400 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Over 980 have succumbed to the disease, while over 4,200 have recovered from it.
