Clark COVID-19 testing facility to be completed by Wednesday

A new testing facility for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is expected to be completed in Clark this week, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said Tuesday.

BCDA president and chief executive officer Vivencio Dizon said the molecular laboratory will be put by the Philippine Red Cross in partnership with government agencies such as the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

"Malapit na pong matapos. In fact, I think, sa Wednesday matatapos na ang Red Cross molecular laboratory dito sa Clark," he said during the Laging Handa virtual briefing.

"Meron nang mga tapos na molecular laboratory ang Red Cross sa Subic. Kasama ito sa pag-build up ng ating testing capacity para sa susunod na araw ay dadami nang dadami na ang ating mga ite-test sa buong bansa," he elaborated.

Red Cross has opened two laboratories in Mandaluyong City, with each facility having four polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines capable of conducting at least 1,000 tests each.

"Nagkaroon ng napakalaking coalition ng private sector at government agencies para i-build ang ating testing capacity," said Dizon.

Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship Jose Ma. "Joey" Concepcion on Monday said he is confident that the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) would be lifted on May 15, but added this could only be realized if testing for COVID-19 is brought to 28,000 daily.—AOL, GMA News