Philippines to order 40,000 COVID-19 test kits —DOH

The Philippine government is set to order 40,000 testing kits for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to the Department of Health (DOH), it has requested for an additional budget of P139 million to procure the additional testing kits.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said it was impractical to test just about any one. 

"You cannot just test anybody. You'll be wasting your time and resources, so you test those who are actually at the acute phase of the condition, of the sickness," Health Secretary Francisco Duque told reporters on the sidelines of the Congressional hearing Tuesday.

His remarks come a day after senators expressed concern over the limited number of available testing kits in the country.

Health officials told a Senate inquiry that the DOH only had 2,000 kits.

"I'll test what, 104 million Filipinos? Hindi yata tama 'yun. Unang una, that is impracticable so merong guide tayo, may protocol tayo diyan," Duque said.

"Kaya nga nagco-contact tracing ka eh, para nakikita mo may high index of suspicion. There has to be a rational approach to all of this," he added.

Locally, the Philippines has 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, after four new cases were reported Monday evening.

President Rodrigo Duterte has since signed an executive order declaring a public health emergency over the outbreak. —NB, GMA News