June 30 target of 50k testing capacity already achieved as of June 19, he says
(Eagle News) – The Philippines has so far tested more than 600,000 of the population for COVID-19 and has achieved the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of 5 percent positivity rate indicating better management of the coronavirus situation, according to the deputy chief implementer of the national task force against COVID-19, Secretary Vince Dizon.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang, Dizon also announced the country has achieved the June 30 target of 50,000 testing capacity as of June 19.
This is good news for the country, he said.
-Percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 getting lower-
But as more people are tested, the public should expect more confirmed COVID-19 cases being reported. Still, the percentage of people testing positive is getting lower, he said.
“At importante po ito at kailangang maintindihan po ito ng ating publiko, na habang tayo po ay nagti-test nang mas madami, dadami po siyempre ang mahahanap nating mga positibo. Pero po, nakikita ninyo po dito sa graph na ito, habang dumadami ang ating actual test ‘no – iyon pong blue na graph, iyong asul – ngayon po ay nasa mahigit 600,000 na tayo pero iyong porsiyento po na nahahanap nating positibo ay pababa na po nang pababa,” Dizon explained on Thursday, June 25.
When the country first started testing for COVID-19 in March, the percentage of people tested who turned out positive for the virus were 20 percent. Now because of interventions done in the past few months, those who are turning positive had been reduced to five percent of those tested.
“Noon pong kinagisnan na napakakonti pa ng ating test ay halos 20 porsiyento po ng ating naiti-test ay nagpu-positibo. Ngayon po, dahilan na rin sa ating mga ginawang mga interbensiyon sa loob ng ilang buwan at dahil sa dumadami na po nating testing, kahit na po dumadami ang ating nahahanap na positibo, iyon pong porsiyento ng positibo ay halos nasa 5% na lang,” Dizon explained.
He said that the Philippines is even close to achieving below 5 percent positivity rate.
“Para po maintindihan natin iyon, ang sabi po ng ating WHO, ang 5% positivity rate at lower ay senyales po na gumaganda na po ang pag-manage ng isang bansa sa COVID-19 cases – at malapit na po tayo doon. Konti na lang ay magiging below 5% na tayo,” he said.
The key here as also explained by the Department of Health is to increase testing capacity, Dizon said.
As of now, the country has 66 certified COVID-19 testing laboratories nationwide.
Dizon said that there is now faster turn-around time for COVID-19 tests, and that results are released within two to three days.
(Eagle News Service)
