San Miguel donation to double PH COVID testing capacity

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) — The Philippines will be doubling its daily coronavirus testing capacity, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday, after conglomerate San Miguel Corporation donated machines and kits to help in the government’s bid for wider testing.

Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) Director Celia Carlos says that with the donation Philippine labs will be able to carry out 9,500 tests per day from just 4,500 before.
In a ceremony at its headquarters in Mandaluyong, San Miguel turned over to the DOH five sets of coronavirus testing machines – each consisting of two reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) machines and one automated ribonucleic acid (RNA) extraction machine.

Combined, the machines are capable of 5,000 to 10,000 COVID-19 tests per day. The DOH takes a conservative stance for now, putting the number at the low end of the range.
Philippine labs will see that doubling in testing capacity by next week, when all machines are up, health officials said.
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San Miguel has also donated 20,000 testing kits.

​Read more: CNN Philippines