The government is finalizing the protocols for antigen testing to rapidly screen people with the coronavirus illness in the country, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced Friday.
Nograles said the country's testing efforts could be enhanced since the antigen test results could be available in just 30 minutes.
"That's why importante 'yung, kung ma-approve na sana yung protocols for the antigen testing, because antigen will take about 30 minutes to an hour, we are finalizing that," he said over ABS-CBN News Channel.
Last month, Nograles announced the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has directed a technical working group to prepare the guidelines on the new diagnostic test for coronavirus. The antigen testing, which can detect a part of the coronavirus, is expected to give "more accurate" results at a faster turnaround.
The coronavirus testing in the country is currently performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and rapid antibody test kits. More than 1.8 million tests have been conducted so far with 10.2 percent positivity rate.
Nograles, co-chair of the IATF, admitted that getting the coronavirus results within 24 hours is the "ideal" situation.
He recognized concerns about the impact of the waiting period for the test results on a person's ability to get back to work. He noted that a person suspected to have the illness must be placed on quarantine or isolation pending the results of the coronavirus test.
In Quezon City where he is assigned to monitor the pandemic response, Nograles said there would be eight new isolation facilities by end of August.
"With these eight more facilities in Quezon City, we will be able to isolate more of either those asymptomatic even those waiting for their results," he said.
With the Department of Education's approval to allow the use of public schools for isolation centers, Nograles said they will identify additional buildings that can serve as temporary health facilities.
"The important thing here is to be able to manage the numbers in Quezon City. Dapat mabilis ang pag-isolate ng mga positive cases at even those who ware waiting for results," he said.
"As soon as they swabbed, then we have to work out a more efficient system wherein those get swabbed, immediately we must have protocols to isolate them from their families," he added.