(Eagle News) – Almost a million Filipinos have already been reached by COVID-19 testing and in a few days, more than a million would have undergone testing for the virus, according to deputy chief implementer of the National Action Plan against COVID-19 and chief testing czar Vince Dizon.
In a press briefing, Dizon explained how the COVID-19 tests in the country have widened and increased in the past few weeks, surging to almost 25,000 per day.
The testing czar said that with the current rate of tests and the additional laboratories being certified, the target to have 10 million tests by next year could be done.
As of July 12, there were already 85 certified laboratories nationwide. Because of this as of July 11, the country had done almost a million COVID-19 tests.
“Dahil dito po, makikita natin dahil sa pagtaas ng ating mga laboratoryo, ang ating testing simula noong buwan ng Mayo hanggang June ay halos aabot na tayo ng isang milyong test as of July 11. At siguro sa mga susunod na araw ay lalampas na tayo sa one million tests,” Dizon said on Monday, July 13.
“Kung maaalala ninyo po, ito po ang target na sinet natin noong nakaraang buwan na by the end of July, isang milyon na po ang tests natin. At ngayon po ay wala pang kalahati ng buwan ng Hulyo ay nasa isang milyon na tayo; at papunta na po tayo sa nasabing target ng ating Chief Implementer na sampung milyong tests by next year,” he explained.
-30,000 tests per day, next target-
Dizon also said that soon the country would be able to conduct the July end target of 30,000 tests per day.
The current 25,000 COVID-19 tests per day was a far cry from the 500 tests per day four months ago, in March.
“Kaya po kung titingnan naman po natin ang ating daily test, iyong dami ng taong tini-test natin o dami ng test natin araw-araw, simula po ng limandaang test lang per day noong Marso ay ngayon, noong July 9, umabot na po tayo ng 25,000 test per day at malapit na malapit na po tayo sa ating goal na makapag-test ng 30,000 tests kada araw ngayong July. So malapit na po tayo diyan at kampante po tayo na maaabot na natin iyan,” the country’s testing czar said.
Dizon also bared that in Metro Manila, there are around 16,000 tests conducted daily. This is up from 2,500 tests daily in April.
He said that the increase in tests in the Philippine capital was done with the help and contribution of various local government units.
Dizon stressed the importance of increased testing, isolation, treatment and contact tracing to defeat the virus that causes COVID-19.
(Eagle News Service)
