COVID-19 testing capacity at 11k a day — Galvez

The chief implementer of the Philippines' COVID-19  response on Friday said the country's testing capacity is at 11,500 per day — still below the government's target of 30,000 tests daily by the end of the month.

"Tuloy-tuloy po ang pag-angkat natin ng mga makinarya, mga automated machines para tumaas po ang ating capacity," chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said at the Laging Handa briefing.

He said there are difficulties in supply but that the government is trying to fix its supply chain so it can stockpile supplies for 30 days for 50 testing centers and for 30,000 tests a day.

Galvez said there are now 39 hospitals accredited to conduct COVID-19 testing. He also acknowledged donations of PCR machines from the private sector. 

He said the government is conducting a "expanded" or "targeted" testing, in which symptomatic patients, those in vulnerable populations, frontliners, and probable and suspected cases should be tested.

Galvez said last month that the Philippines was targeting a testing capacity of 15,000 by May 15 and 30,000 by May 30.

This week, deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon said the target is 50,000 tests a day in June. He reportedly said this is intended to achieve testing two percent of the country's population.

More than 207,000 individuals have been tested for COVID-19 as of May 15,  according to the Department of Health's online tracker.

Health authorities have recorded 13,597 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 3,092 recoveries and 857 deaths as of Friday afternoon. The total number of active cases is 9,648. — RSJ, GMA News