The Department of Health says that the target may be attained later on, as more test kits arrive in the country. COVID19PH
SWABBING. A health worker conducts a swab test to a suspected COVID-19 patient in Sta. Ana Hospital in Manila on April 17, 2020. Photo by Lisa Marie David/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is likely to miss its target of 8,000 coronavirus tests per day by the end of April, as the Philippines' current testing capacity stood at just more than half of that number, the Deparment of Health said on Wednesday, April 29. “Mukhang hindi po aabot dito sa 8,000 for April 30 though sinusubakan ho natin dahil ngayon po dumating na ‘yung cartridges natin for GeneXpertResults for tests using the GeneXpert kits can reportedly be given in 45 minutes – way faster than the test kits being used by DOH-accredited testing hubs, which have a turnaround time of 24 hours.
Vergeire said that as of Tuesday, April 28, the Philippines' testing capacity for the virus averaged at around 4,900 per day. Vergeire cited the scaling down of operations at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine – the country's main testing center for the coronavirus – as one of the reasons why the Philippines would not likely reach its April target.
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