Gov’t aims 10 million coronavirus tests by 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The government is aiming to test about 10 million Filipinos for coronavirus by  2021, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Tuesday.

The government has tested over one million people so far for the coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, Duque said.

At present, the country has a testing capacity of 74,000  a day and the daily testing output has reached 25,000, he added.

“Ang target po natin is 10 million Filipinos to be tested by 2021. We hope to do the test at 32,000 to 40,000 a day,” said Duque in a televised briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Health secretary reiterated that testing every Filipino would be impossible to do, and that no country has ever done it.

He added that the Philippines could surpass the ratio of the United States in testing capacity, which has reportedly tested 40 million individuals, which is “close to nine percent” of its total population of about 370 million.

“Tayo malalagpasan natin yun, magiging 10% po tayo of the total population of the Philippines of 109 million, we might be able to reach 10 million people by 2021,” Duque said.

(We will surpass that. We will make it to 10% of total population tested.)

The President ordered government officials to do the testing “as soon as you can.”

EDV