Philippines now has 23 COVID-19 testing centers after Cebu facility accredited

A testing center in Cebu is the latest facility to receive accreditation from the Department of Health (DOH) to conduct independent testing for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Philippines now has 23 testing centers nationwide, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Tuesday.

In a virtual press briefing, she announced that the Cebu TB Reference Laboratory has been certified by the DOH.

Out of the 23 certified testing centers, 17 are in Metro Manila while the rest are spread out across the Cordillera Administrative Region and Regions V, VI, VII, and XI.

Meanwhile, three laboratories are already at Stage 4 of the DOH’s five-step accreditation process.

A total of 77 facilities have applied for certification, 58 of which are already on Stage 3 and above.

The DOH said that 117,972 individuals have been tested for COVID-19 as of Monday, 89 percent of whom tested negative while 11 percent turned out positive.

The Philippines has recorded 9,684 cases with 1,408 fatalities and 637 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News