DOH targets zero-backlog in processing of COVID-19 tests

MANILA, Philippines — Laboratories handling coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tests are aiming to eliminate backlogs by Thursday night.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Thursday said laboratories were earlier instructed to reduce case backlogs in two to three days, which was more than 7,000 as of Monday, May 25.

The backlog was at 3,683 as of Wednesday, May 27.

“Noong nag-meeting kami with the laboratories last Monday, we have instructed them to reduce the backlogs in two to three days as ordered by the Office of the President,” Vergeire told reporters in an online media forum.

(When we met with laboratories last Monday, we instructed them to reduce the backlog in two to three days as ordered by the Office of the President.)

“Mayroon tayong target na by tonight, we will be reducing all of these backlogs to zero,” she added.

(We have a target na by tonight, we will be reducing all of these backlogs to zero.)

This week, the country has seen a sudden spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases, with more than 300 new cases recorded in the last two days.

The total of cases of the disease in the country surpassed 15,000 as of Wednesday as the DOH recorded 1,014 new confirmed cases since Monday.

Vergeire said returning overseas Filipino workers contributed to the increase in he number of cases.

The number of case encoders likewise, thus expediting  the  encoding and validation of cases.

The government is also continuously ramping up the country’s COVID-19 testing capacity, Vergeire added.

GSG