The COVID-19 national task force aims to conduct one million tests by July, says National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer Vince Dizon on Thursday, June 25, following the arrival of an initial 1.05 million test kits.
“Meron tayong bagong sini-set na goal. Dahil dumating na po ang napakaraming [testing] supply, ang goal po natin para magamit ang mga test na ‘yan at mabigyang benepisyo ang ating mga kababayan, ay by July dapat one million tests na tayo,” Dizon said.
The expanded testing will be implemented especially in heavily-dense regions such as Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Central Luzon, Cebu, and Davao, and will include even the asymptomatic cases.
The Philippines has exceeded its goal of 50,000 daily testing capacity by June with 51,302 daily testing capacity as of June 19. This represents a 2,465-percent increase from the 2,000 tests per day conducted last March.
The number of accredited testing laboratories has also reached 66 as of June 24 from only one last February.
As of June 22, a total of 612,571 tests were conducted, or 1,340-percent increase, from the 17,414 tests last March.
Dizon also mentioned that a recommendation to the Department of Health will be done to implement testing for non-medical frontliners in the following sectors: transport and logistics, security and sanitation, education, media, retail, food, and services, as well as other employees returning to their respective workplace.
“Napaka-importante noon kasi hindi lang ‘yun proteksyon para lang sa kanila dahil napakadalas ng contact nila sa mga kababayan natin; pero proteksyon din ‘yun para sa community na ma-test natin sila at masiguro na hindi sila mahahawa at hindi rin sila makakahawa,” said Dizon.