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DOH conducts 61K individual Covid-19 tests
FILE: Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing Monday (Feb. 17, 2020) says there has been a downtrend in the number of persons under investigation (PUIs) for possible coronavirus disease. (PNA photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor)
MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said it performed a total of 61,049 individual tests for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“As of April 21, 6 p.m., some 7,797 are positive cases and 53,147 are negative. Lilinawin natin na ang total positive cases ay maaring mas mataas kaysa sa total confirmed cases dahil dumadaan pa rin ito sa case validation and processing and ‘yun pong positive cases na admitted sa hospitals ay maaaring nagkakaroon ng (We’re clarifying that the total positive cases could be higher than total confirmed cases because they go through case validation and processing and positive cases admitted in hospitals may have) repeat tests,” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire during a Covid-19 virtual presser.
Based on the latest data from the DOH nCov tracker, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) has performed the most number of individual tests with 35,489 followed by Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) with 3,434; Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) with 2,945; Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) with 2,681; and Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) with 2,644.
The tracker showed there are 71,827 remaining Covid-19 test kits distributed among the 17 accredited testing centers nationwide which include the RITM, BGHMC, VSMMC, SPMC, LCP, San Lazaro Hospital in Manila City, University of Philippines National Institutes of Health in Manila City, St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, St. Luke’s Medical Center in BGC, Taguig City, Makati Medical Center in Makati City, Chinese General Hospital in Manila City, The Medical City in Ortigas, Pasig City, Victoriano Luna Hospital in Quezon City (in coordination with AFRIMS), Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory in Mandaluyong City, Philippine Red Cross in Mandaluyong City, and Bicol Regional Diagnostic and Reference Laboratory in Legazpi City.
To date, about nine of the 3,206 confirmed case hospital admissions nationwide are new admissions.
As of April 12, there are a total of 3,191 beds for Covid-19 patients in hospitals, 1,474 mechanical ventilators, and 12, 413 beds in identified community isolation facilities nationwide.
Meanwhile, there are 118,042 face shields, 54,913 goggles, 123,977 coveralls, 118,946 gowns, 229,568 N95 masks, 251,537 shoe covers, 3,871,669 surgical masks and 1,309,478 headcovers available in hospitals nationwide.
