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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Valenzuela City builds own COVID-19 testing lab

Valenzuela City builds own COVID-19 testing lab

Published Jun 27, 2020 12:00 am
By Joseph Almer Pedrajas The local government of Valenzuela City is building its own coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing laboratory as it ramps up efforts to test and track down all possible virus carriers in the city. (PHOTO COURTESY: Valenzuela LGU / MANILA BULLETIN) (PHOTO COURTESY: Valenzuela LGU / MANILA BULLETIN) Mayor Rex Gatchalian on Friday night said the construction of Valenzuela Hope Molecular Laboratory is already "in full swing" and "should be done by July." "We will have our own COVID testing lab very very soon," Gatchalian said in a Twitter post. By building their own testing laboratory, Valenzuela City will be able to process on their own 200 more swab or PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test samples, or a total of 505 tests in a day.. Currently, the city processes at least 305 tests through the help of five different laboratories. As of Saturday, June 27, Valenzuela City has 539 COVID-19 cases, with 306 recoveries and 18 deaths. Citing a Department of Health data, Gatchalian said most of the city's COVID-19 patients do not belong to the most vulnerable group. "At least the infection for children and seniors have been kept to a minimum...after all they are most vulnerable," Gatchalian said.
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