NEWS RELEASE
May 12, 2020
GCQ to MECQ
Easing of restrictions welcome but gov’t should do much more to increase testing capacity
Members of the Citizens Urgent Response to End Covid-19 welcomed government plans to ease Covid-
19-related restrictions but insisted that government has to drastically increase and expand the
country’s testing capacity to provide a more accurate picture of Covid-19 infections, thus resulting in a
more effective response.
In a media briefing this afternoon, UP molecular biologist and research specialist Joshua Danac warned
that the low cases in some areas and so-called “flattening of the curve” in Metro Manila might simply be
due to the uneven and limited testing being done in the country.
Noting that high concentration of cases were found in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao and Zamboanga,
Danac said this might simply indicate which areas have better access to testing.
(translated from Filipino to English) “When coinciding the many detecting cases with the areas that have more access to testing, then we have to account for that in the data.”
(translated from Filipino to English) “It's also possible to simply observe that the curve is flattening because we simply hit the ceiling of our testing capacity. We know this because if you look at the day to day (results), not yet dropping, no downward trend in the cases of Covid-19 yet,” he said.
He added that the delays in the results of the tests and huge backlog in the validation of more than
4,000 confirmed positive cases meant the data “does not accurately reflect the state of Covid-19 in the
country.”
In order to ramp up mass testing, Danac said the DOH would have to increase laboratory capacity by
speeding up the approval of accredited laboratories, noting that only 26 laboratories have been certified
so far, 18 of which are in Metro Manila.
“Seeing the current rate at which DOH is accrediting these labs, we have to ask if it really is will they reach those targets, ” he said, referring to the IATF’s stated target of 50 additional Covid-19
testing labs this month.
Danac added that to maximize testing capacity of current laboratories, the DOH would have to ensure
that laboratories have enough supplies and personnel. DOH would also have to increase the share of
sampe allocation to private laboratories running at well below capacity.
“The DOH should come up with a system for centralized procurement of testing supplies in order to
ensure that all laboratories are running at full capacity,” he added.
