Additional equipment for Manila's second molecular laboratory at Sta. Ana Hospital, where patients can now get coronavirus disease (COVID-19) swab tests have been installed.
In a Facebook post, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said they already received the High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) or the Bag-In and Bag-Out Filter in compliance with the Department of Health (DOH) guidelines.
The said machine can effectively capture virus and bacteria in the air, Domagoso said.
"Ang filter na ito ay nagsisiguro na ligtas ang mga healthcare workers na nagtrabaho sa loob ng laboratoryo at mga komunidad na nasa paligid nito sa tulong ng (This filter will ensure the safety of healthcare workers inside the laboratory and the communities surrounding it with the help of the) Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM)," Domagoso said in his post.
The Manila mayor said the molecular laboratory can also detect other illnesses aside from COVID-19.
"Gusto natin ng value for our money at pang matagalan na pagtitiyak sa maayos na lagay ng kalusugan ng mga Batang Maynila (We want value for our money to ensure the health of Manileños in the long run)," his post read.
On September 17, Domagoso said three biosafety cabinets class II, two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) hoods, two biomedical refrigerators for reagents, two freezers, and eight computer sets were installed at the molecular laboratory.
The city's first molecular laboratory is also located at Sta. Ana Hospital.
Once the second molecular laboratory opens, Manila will have a capacity of 1,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests per day.