(Eagle News)–Three laboratories for COVID-19 testing are being put up in Zamboanga City as part of efforts to ramp up the country’s testing capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Task Force for COVID-19 said in a statement the facility at the Zamboanga City Medical Center and the Department of Agriculture PCR laboratory are being set up by the government.
Another one, the task force said, shall be put up by the Philippine Red Cross.
“These testing laboratories will cater to the needs of patients coming from the Zamboanga Peninsula and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi,” the task force said.
According to NTF chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr., President Rodrigo Duterte has told him to visit all these places, “especially those areas where COVID cases were undetermined due to the lack or absence of testing laboratories.”
Zamboanga City was included in the list of general community quarantine areas where restrictions in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 could be eased after April 30.
But the Palace later said the city and Legazpi City have appealed they be included in the list of areas where an enhanced community quarantine was extended to May 15.
The Philippines has confirmed over 9000 COVID-19 cases, with the lead of recoveries over deaths still widening.
The Department of Health has said it was seeking to ramp up testing capacity to 8000 tests daily by the end of April.
