Cabinet Secretary and IATF spokesperson Karlo Nograles
The Philippines can now extend its testing operations after opening more facilities capable of conducting COVID-19 tests, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced Friday.
The eight health facilities are:
- Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center
- Lung Center of the Philippines
- Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
- San Lazaro Hospital
- Southern Philippines Medical Center
- University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health
- Western Visayas Medical Center
- Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center
“At this point, we cannot overemphasize how important it is for our health professionals and workers to properly identify and treat not just those who have been infected, but potential carriers of the virus as well,” Nograles stated.
As of April 2, the Philippines posted 2,633 COVID-19 cases with 107 fatalities and 51 recoveries.
Meanwhile, the government is planning to conduct mass testing of suspected cases on April 14, Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the national action policy against COVID-19 announced on Thursday. (RJ Espartinez)