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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PRC inaugurates bio-molecular lab in Cebu

PRC inaugurates bio-molecular lab in Cebu

Published Jul 16, 2020 04:55 pm

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has increased their COVID-19 testing capacity to 36,000 per day as it inaugurates its bio-molecular laboratory in Mandaue City, Cebu on Thursday. 

Philippine Red Cross inaugurates its bio-molecular laboratory in Mandaue City, Cebu.
(Photo from PRC / MANILA BULLETIN)

PRC chairman and CEO Senator Richard Gordon, in a statement, said the facility, located at the PRC Mandaue-Office, Jagobiao Drive, Mandaue City, Cebu comes equipped with four RT-polymerase chain reaction machines capable of running a combined total 4,000 tests per day. 

He underscored its importance noting testing is key in solving the COVID-19 menace.

“To contain the virus, we need testing we are dealing with an unseen enemy and it is only through testing that we can unmask it," Gordon explained, adding the higher the number of people getting tested, the easier it will be to find and isolate the carriers of the virus. 

“Pag marami tayong mate-test, malalaman natin kung sino ang mga carrier at maihihiwalay na natin sila sa mga pamilya nila at sa komunidad para hindi na sila makahawa pa at magagamot ang sakit nila (With more people undergoing these tests, we will know who the carriers are and we can separate them from their families and the community so that they can no longer infect others and their disease can be treated),” he said.

The establishment of the facility in Cebu, Gordon maintained, will help a lot in hastening the opening of the city's business establishments. 

“Pati ang mga bisita ay hindi na rin matatakot na pumunta sa Cebu dahil pwede niyo nang i-advertise na ang mga empleyado ng mga resort, restaurant o iba pang mga business establishments dito ay COVID-free na dahil na-test na sila (Visitors will not be afraid to go to Cebu because you can now advertise that employees of resorts, restaurants or other business establishments here are COVID-free because they have been tested),” he added.

Gordon called on local government officials in Cebu to encourage their constituents to be tested through the facility.

Other PRC molecular laboratories already in operation are located in its National Headquarters in Boni, EDSA in Mandaluyong; its former NHQ in Port Area, Manila; in Clark, Subic and Batangas.

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