The Department of Health (DOH) has issued a “memorandum” which provides the inclusion of the Philippine Red Cross’ positive saliva test results in the national tally of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

This was disclosed by PRC consultant and lead researcher Dr. Michael Tee in an interview with the ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo on Sunday, June 20.

“Kamakailan nag issue ang Department of Health na ang saliva tests ng Red Cross ay kasama sa bilang ng national counting natin para sa COVID-19 at retroactively ika-count simula nung ginawa, ito’y nagsimulang aprubahan nung January hanggang sa ngayon, idadagdag ang bilang ng nagpositibo sa saliva test ng Red Cross sa ating pagbibilang (The Department of Health recently issued that Red Cross saliva tests are included in our national counting for COVID-19 and will be retroactively counted since its start, since it has been approved in January up to present, the number who tested positive from Red Cross’ saliva test will be included in our tally),” Tee told TeleRadyo on Sunday.

He thanked the DOH for issuing the new memorandum, which he said, allows the local government units (LGUs) to use saliva testing.

“Puwede natin ideploy ang saliva testing. Ang mga LGUs sana makipag-coordinate sa Red Cross at mag-collection ng laway para surveillance para sa inyong mga pasyente at ipadala natin sa PRC molecular laboratory (We can deploy saliva testing. LGUs should coordinate with the Red Cross and they can conduct saliva collection for surveillance for their patients and send it to the PRC molecular laboratory),” Tee said.

Tee said the PRC has so far conducted 365,000 saliva tests since it started late January this year.

With the issuance of DOH’s memorandum, he said the saliva collection will be used in different provinces in country.