56 labs now licensed for COVID-19 testing —DOH

There are now 56 laboratories nationwide licensed to conduct independent testing for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

In its daily COVID-19 report, the DOH said there are 42 accredited polymerase chain reaction (PCR) facilities and 14 GeneXpert laboratories.

The latest institutions to be certified were the Bataan General Hospital and the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital.

There are also 147 other laboratories undergoing the five-step accreditation process.

Of this number, 120 or 82 percent are already on Stage 3 or above.

The licensed laboratories have tested 425,734 individuals as of June 9, 7 percent of whom tested positive for COVID-19.

The Philippines has recorded 23,732 cases with 4,895 recoveries and 1,027 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News