By Mario Casayuran Senator Richard J. Gordon said on April 24, Friday, that efforts of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) in combatting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been boosted after the Department of Health (DOH) accredited PRC’s second molecular laboratory as a certified COVID-19 testing center upon passing the proficiency test. (PRC / MANILA BULLETIN) Gordon, PRC chairman and CEO, said the second facility, which was inaugurated on April 21, is now good to go and could run up to 4,000 tests a day with its four machines. “I’m elated that our second lab has been approved. With a total of eight machines now, we can have up to 8,000 tests a day,” he said. PRC’s first molecular laboratory, which opened last week, already finished testing some 1,000 samples sent by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). This is located at the second floor of the PRC headquarters. The second is located at the PRC Logistics and Multi-Purpose Center at the back of the PRC headquarters in front of the Robinson Boni EDSA, after the Boni MRT station. Gordon said that with a third laboratory soon to open at the PRC’s old national headquarters at the Port Area in Manila, which would have another four set of machines, the PRC could conduct up to 12,000 tests per day in the National Capital Region. “The focus is we cannot beat this unless we unmask the invisible enemy, and we can only do that by testing. Then you can separate them, isolate them, and you start healing people. The focus must be victory over the virus,” Gordon stressed. He also said the PRC has just signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), for the latter to cover the costs for COVID-19 testing for all persons who have PhilHealth coverage. “Please be sure to bring your PhilHealth card or documentation/number when you come for testing,” he added.