The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) remains the most preferred tester for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country with over 3.3 million tests conducted since it started in 2020.
“Kung hindi tayo nag-test, mas marami siguro ang namatay (If we didn’t conduct tests, more people could have died),” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon said in a virtual press conference on Wednesday, June 23.
Currently, Gordon said that there are 13 PRC molecular laboratories nationwide. “Soon, there will be 14 molecular laboratories nationwide. Once the one in Cotabato has been completed, it will have the capability to conduct 67,000 tests a day,” he explained.
Testing should continue
As the country continues its fight against COVID-19, Gordon reiterated the importance of continued testing.
PRC started conducting COVID-19 swab tests in April last year – processing an average of 9,000 samples per day nationwide.
Aside from swab testing, PRC also started offering Saliva Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests in January 2021. PRC’s Saliva RT-PCR testing is considered a first in the country.
Gordon beamed with pride as he announced that the PRC has already conducted 3, 307, 946 COVID-19 tests since last year. “1 out of 4 Filipino is tested by the Red Cross in the entire country and 1 out of 3 in Manila is tested by the Red Cross,” he said.
Both swab and saliva RT-PCR tests are available for booking at the PRC official website, https://book.redcross.org.ph/.