Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire
MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reported that 82.7 percent of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) tests conducted turned out negative.
"We have a total of 22,958 tests conducted. Out of this, 16,615 or 82.7 percent turned out negative and 3,414 or 16.9 percent turned out positive," DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during the Laging Handa public briefing.
Vergeire, in a separate text message, said the 3,414 number of positive cases mentioned in the briefing is the number of Covid-19 positive individuals who were tested as of Sunday (April 5) night.
The number is bigger than the recorded positive cases because there were repeat tests conducted among patients who have Covid-19. The number of patients whose tests were repeated, however, was not provided.
"This may include repeat tests of positive patients and 3,246 positive cases is still the current number of positive cases in the country," she said.
Vergeire made the clarification in response to comments that the percentage rates she earlier mentioned do not tally with the number of Covid-19 cases reflected in the department's (Covid-19) tracker.
"We have been explaining that our nCov tracker is suffering from technical issues, down ang ating system hindi napi-pick up ang ating resulta (our system is down and it cannot pick up results) that's why we have decided to present in our presser," she said.
The DOH, she said, cannot conclude yet whether the number of Covid-19 cases in the country is either increasing or decreasing because the country is still in the early stages of extending its capacity on the testing of Covid-19 cases.
"Nagumpisa tayo sa iisang laboratoryo lang, RITM, nakapag-extend na po tayo sa walong laboratoryo na nag-te-test na po ngayon...hinihintay parin natin na mag-stabilize and maging appropriate na ang numero ng testing centers and testing kits para makita po natin talaga ang actual numbers na kailangan nating makita...kailangan lang po natin maghintay ng konti pang panahon upang makita ang (We started with one laboratory, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, we have extended to eight laboratories now...we're still waiting to stabilize and have appropriate number of testing centers and testing kits so we can see the actual numbers we need to see...we just need to wait some more to see the) true picture of the rise of cases or decrease in the number of cases," she said.
Besides the RITM, there are seven other laboratories serving as Covid-19 testing centers.
These are San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, University of the Philippines National Institutes of Health in Manila, Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Benguet, Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City and Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.
The DOH said there are 66 more laboratories being prepared as Covid-19 testing centers. (PNA)
