Duterte in his weekly public address on Monday (Jan. 10) said there is a need to increase the RT-PCR testing capacity in NCR Plus areas so as to handle the influx of tests and to ensure that laboratories are operational seven days a week.
“Ang universal complaint talaga is kulang ang --- ang facilities ng ano, itong RT-PCR, ” he said.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III responded to Duterte’s prooosal saying that the Department of Health’s testing expansion is ongoing with the aim of providing every province with RT-PCR testing capability that also include the private sector running more laboratories.
Duque said currently, there are 312 laboratories that are conducting RT-PCR tests all over the country.
“Mayroon naman tayong pera for the 2022 Budget. I think there --- kung hindi ako nagkakamali mga P7 billion ang outlay for that. So we will just continue to buy some more,” Duque said.
Experts said that if the country’s positivity rate exceeds its testing capacity, numbers reported in daily case bulletins will no longer reflect the reality of what is happening on the ground.
The said scenario will make projections unhelpful and will blind analysts on the real situation.
To stem the tide of COVID-19 spread, the government placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna under Alert Level 3.
Batangas, Bataan, Cagayan, Pampanga, Zambales, Angeles City, Baguio City, Dagupan City, Iloilo City, Lapu-Lapu City, Lucena City, Naga City, Olongapo and Santiago Cities, are also under Alert Level 3 from January 9-15 to contain people’s mobility.
The President said more localities will be placed under the stricter quarantine period if the situation worsens.
File Photo 2021
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