PH adds 10K RT-PCR testing daily

MANILA – As coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases surge, National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) deputy chief implementer Vivencio Dizon said the government has further ramped up its testing capacity to detect those individuals that are infected by the coronavirus. 

In a Palace briefing Tuesday, Dizon said average daily testing from April 6 to 10 reached 60,777 tests. 

This means more than 10,000 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing were added last week from the previous testing capacity of over 50,000, he said. 

He added this is also on top of the target 30,000 antigen testing per day in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, or the NCR Plus, along with Batangas and Pampanga provinces. 

Dizon, who is also the testing czar, said the government has distributed 100,000 antigen testing kits last weekend. 

Additional 400,000 antigen test kits will be distributed in the NCR Plus, as well as Batangas and Pampanga that will be given to local government units (LGUs) this week, he added. 

Dizon said they also distributed guidelines on doing the antigen screening for Covid-19. 

“We remind the LGUs that the testing should be risk-based and targeted,” he said.