MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has granted the Valenzuela Hope Molecular Laboratory a license to undertake independent testing for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
This was announced by Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian via Tweet on Tuesday, also detailing that the laboratory will offer a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test that is dubbed as the “gold standard” for COVID-19 testing.
Our license to operate for Valenzuela Hope Molecular Lab. Its now official. pic.twitter.com/JvK9bmX4dS
— Rex (@rex_gatchalian) September 15, 2020
The laboratory is located along G. Lazaro Street in Barangay Dalandanan. Its license is valid until December 31, 2020.
Screengrab from Mayor Rex Gatchalian’s Twitter
Zyan Caiña, public information office chief of Valenzuela City, said in a text message that the new virus lab will offer free swab testing for symptomatic patients as well as those who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients.
Caiña also said the laboratory has the capacity to test 700 individuals daily.
He further said the testing center opens Tuesday, September 15.
As of Monday, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Valenzuela City hit 6,132 including 4,894 recoveries and 171 fatalities.
Apart from the Valenzuela Hope Molecular Laboratory, the local government has an existing partnership with private laboratories The Medical City and Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory for the conduct of swab tests to residents.