594K Covid-19 tests conducted in PH

FILE: Medical personnel perform a swab test on returning overseas Filipino workers at the Palacio de Maynila along Roxas Boulevard in Malate, Manila on Sunday (May 10, 2020). (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

MANILA – The government has so far conducted a total of 594,817 tests for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) across the country, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“Sa testing output, as of June 20, nakapagsagawa na po tayo ng 594,817 (Regarding our testing output, we have been able to conduct 594,817 tests as of June 20),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual press conference aired on state-run PTV-4.

Roque gave the update as the government continues to accredit more laboratories for Covid-19 to boost the country’s testing capacity.

To date, the Department of Health (DOH) has accredited 63 laboratories nationwide that will conduct independent testing for Covid-19.

About 43,750 test kits for 1.05 million tests have already arrived in the country, he said, adding that the government has also procured 239,857 test kits to enable it to conduct approximately 8,544,292 Covid-19 tests.

To ramp up the country’s testing capacity, Roque said there is the ongoing procurement of some 15,750 test kits that could be used to conduct some 1,293,750 tests for Covid-19.

“Hindi pa po sapat ang ating mga kinuha. Meron pa po tayong limang ongoing bids para sa 15,750 test kits at ito po ay pupwedeng gamitin sa 1,293,750 tests (The test kits that we have already procured are not enough. We have five ongoing bids for 15,750 test kits and these can be used to conduct 1,293,750 tests),” he said.

Earlier Tuesday, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country is now able to test more than 12,000 samples from suspect Covid-19 cases daily.

Vergeire said the average Covid-19 tests were about 12,400, although testing fluctuates every day.

On June 4, deputy chief implementer of the country’s National Policy Against Covid-19, Vince Dizon, said the government is planning to raise the country’s testing capacity to 50,000 per day by the end of June.

Roque said reaching the Covid-19 testing capacity of 50,000 per day remains the goal of the government.

“Ngayon, ang goal po natin ay 50,000 tests per day (Now, our goal is 50,000 tests per day),” he said.

On Tuesday, health authorities recorded 1,150 new cases, increasing the country’s total confirmed Covid-19 cases to 31,825, of which 1,186 are deaths and 8,442 are recoveries.