RITM resumes full laboratory operations

MANILA, Philippines — The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) has resumed its full operations, a week after it has downscaled its laboratory operations due to the coronavirus infection of its 43 employees.

READ: RITM scales down lab operations as coronavirus infects 43 employees

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Sunday said that so far, none of the employees of the institute have been admitted, while the two remaining staff are still finishing their 14-day quarantine.

“Nakabalik na ang RITM sa kanilang full operations (The RITM has resumed its full operations),” she said in a virtual press briefing.

She earlier announced that 31 RITM employees recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while nine others are still awaiting their second negative result.

“Binibigyan ng buong suporta ng pamunuan ng RITM, maging ng DOH ang mga staff natin upang matugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan pangkalusugan sa ngayon,” Vergeire added.

(The management of the RITM, as well as the DOH, are giving the necessary support to the employees.)

The RITM earlier downscaled its laboratory operations to make way for the checkup and testing of all hospital personnel as well as the decontamination of its facilities.

However, other hospital services and operations remained in “full swing.”

Vergeire earlier claimed that the RITM personnel did not contract COVID-19 while they were processing test samples.

READ: RITM personnel did not contract coronavirus from processing samples – DOH

/MUF