More accredited labs to bolster government’s COVID-19 testing target – IATF

MANILA, Philippines —The government on Monday expressed confidence it can meet its daily coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing target as more laboratories are being accredited by the Health Department (DOH).

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging and Infectious Disease said there are now 15 subnational laboratories that can conduct COVID-19 tests nationwide.

The new additions are St. Luke’s Medical Center – Global City /Quezon City, The Medical City, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Makati Medical City, and V. Luna Hospital.

Aside from the 15 operational testing centers, there are an additional 28 institutions undergoing the DOH’s laboratory certification process, while 37 more have expressed their intention to be certified as testing centers, Nograles said in a virtual press briefing.

“Because of these developments, the DOH says we are now in a better position to reach our target of 3,000 tests per day. Then eventually 8,000 to 10,000 tests per day,” he added.

The government is eyeing to start its “targeted” mass testing of COVID-19 patients on Tuesday.

Patients or healthcare workers with severe or critical symptoms will be prioritized in the testing, followed by those with mild symptoms with a relevant history of exposure or are considered vulnerable and those who are asymptomatic but have relevant exposure history.

To date, Nograles said there are 33,814 individuals who have been tested for COVID-19.

The Philippines as of Sunday confirmed 4,648 cases of the disease, with 297 deaths and 197 patients who recovered.

GSG