Testing czar Vince Dizon said 14 million people from Metro Manila can now be tested for COVID-19 through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) pooled testing.
(NTF AGAINST COVID-19 / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
"Kakayanin po kung gagamitin natin ang pooled testing at tingin ko po ay lalabas na yan sa review ng Department of Health (It is possible if we will use pooled testing and I think that will come out in the review of the Department of Health)," he said.
During a press briefing held at the Palace on Thursday, Dizon explained, "Ang pooled testing po ay ginagamit kapag sa isang grupo halimbawa mga OFWs, pwede nating pagsamahin ang mga sample ng sampu o kahit dalawampung OFW. Kapag negative po yung isang test dun sa sampu o dalawampu eh negative na po lahat (Pooled testing is used in groups like, for example, OFWs, we can consolidate the samples of 10 or 20 of them. If the result obtained from one of the 10 or 20 is negative, everyone will be considered negative as well)."
"Kapag positive, papaliitin ang pool. So magmula dalawampu gagawing sampu. At kung yung isa sa sampu ay negative, negative na lahat yung sampu. Kapag yung isang pool may positive hahanapin po, papaliitin nang papaliitin yung pool hanggat mahanap yung positibong pasyente (If the test comes out positive, the pool will be reduced. So from 20, it will become 10. If the half will be negative, the other half will also be negative. If the other pool will have a positive, the pool will be reduced until the positive patient is found)," Dizon added.
Dizon recalled they initially targeted a million tests by the end of July but they already recorded 1.3 million even before the end of the month.
They are now targeting a total of 10 million tests and currently, over 28,000 tests per day are being done.
The testing czar is also optimistic that their target of 32,000 tests will be met this month.
"Ngayon po ay halos doble na tayo ng ginagawa ng South Korea. Ang South Korea po ay nagtetest ng 15,000 per day so halos doble na tayo. Isa po sa pinakamaraming tinetest ang South Korea sa Asya (Now we are doing almost twice the amount of tests being done by South Korea. South Korea is conducting 15,000 tests per day so we're almost twice as much. South Korea is among Asian countries conducting a lot of tests)," he said.
"Kaya po finally po umabot na tayo sa level na yun. Pero di tayo hihinto dun talagang sabi nga po ng ating pangulo kung kakayanin ay dapat lalo na dito sa Metro Manila at sa mga urban center natin, kung kakayanin sana lahat ng tao ay matest natin (Finally we have reached that level. But we will not stop there. Like the President said, if we can, especially here in Metro Manila and in our urban centers, if we're capable, I hope we can test everyone)," he added.
Dizon said that test results from mega swabbing centers take a maximum up to three days and are sent through email, text message, or through the local government unit.
There are currently four mega swabbing centers in use. One in the SM Mall of Asia Arena, one in Palacio de Maynila, one in the Philippine Arena, and one in Taguig City.
Meanwhile, Dizon also shared that under Oplan Kalinga, they acquired a total of 2,000 rooms from various hotels to be used as isolation centers.
"Ginawa po natin nung nakaraang linggo sa tulong po ng ating Department of Tourism (We did this last week with the help of the Department of Tourism)," he said.
He reminded that these hotel isolation centers are not "walk-in."
"Naka-coordinate po ito sa mga local government units at binabantayan po yan 24/7 ng ating kapulisan para siguraduhing hindi sila lalabas at meron pong nagaalaga sa kanila at libre din po ang pagkain (This is coordinated with the local government units and they are guarded 24/7 by the police to make sure they will not leave. There will also be people who will be taking care of the patients and food will be prepared for them for free) ," Dizon said.
The 2,000 rooms are the latest addition in the National Capital Region.
Isolation centers in Metro Manila have a 10,000 bed capacity.
There are also six We Heal as One isolation centers with 3,000 bed capacity.