The country will be able to do mass testing of as much as 16,000 tests per day by May 1 following the approval of the diagnostic kits developed by the University of the Philippines.
“Our manufacturing facilities are going all out, and 6,000 to 8,000 tests are being manufactured per day and we are hoping to increase this to 16,000 tests per day by May 1,” said Raul Destura, the UP scientist who led the team that developed the COVID-19 test kits.
He said the manufacturing of the new test kits began after all the approvals were secured.
He said the test kits were also RT-PCR tests, which the Health department consider the gold standard in detecting the new pathogen and are one-step tests that directly target confirmatory genes for COVID-19.
Medical items
The National Bureau of Investigation has seized P41.7 million worth of medical items from profiteering, hoarding and overpricing since the government imposed a lockdown in Luzon and other areas due to the pandemic.
NBI Director Eric Distor said the supplies included alcohol and hand sanitizers, thermal scanners, personal protective equipment and surgical and face masks that were scarce in the market when the lockdown was imposed on March 17.
Distor said 61 operations were conducted nationwide by the NBI-Manila and its Regional Operations units against those who took advantage of the current emergency health crisis.
Supplemental budget
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has signed a P2.8-billion supplemental budget for 2020 in the fight against COVID-19 and to address its impact on the community.
The city now has 1,042 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 34 villages under extreme lockdown.
Those added from the list were North Fairview, Novaliches proper and New Era.
The 37-member city council passed the supplemental budget to fund the distribution of food packs and financial aid to the residents, and the provision of hazard and risk pay to the city government’s plantilla and contractual employees.
“The residents have nothing to worry about because we enough fund amid the crisis,” Belmonte said.
Quarantine facility
The Taguig City government on Saturday opened its own quarantine facility as it continued its active approach in fighting the coronavirus disease.
The Lakeshore facility has 40 beds and is only one of the five quarantine facilities in Taguig.
Aside from a hospital bed, each cubicle also has hygiene kits, towels, anti-COVID kits with masks and thermometers, bedside table and chair and cabinets. The facility is also WI-FI-ready.
Deadlines extended
The Makati City government on Sunday announced it is again extending the deadlines on the payment of business licenses, realty taxes and other fees and charges, as well as the suspension of penalties, interest and surcharges until May 30 following the extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon.
Mayor Abigail Binay said the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed City Ordinance 2020-090 approving the extensions, and in line with ongoing measures that encourage people to stay at home to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Salary donation
Employees of the Environment department of Bataan donated their one-day salary to procure personal protective equipment for the frontliners of the Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center.
“We expect the PPE to be delivered to us on Monday, and then we will immediately turn over them to BGHMC,” said Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Raul Mamac.
“All employees of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, and the two Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices joined,” he added.