Manila starts localized mass testing for Covid-19

Manila began its localized mass testing operations, with over a thousand swab tests being done weekly.

The Manila Public Information Office (PIO) on Monday announced that Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso gave the go signal to the Manila Health Department (MHD) and the city’s six district hospitals to do the mass testing.

The health facilities that can do about 1,624 swab tests weekly, or around 232 per day, with their daily capacities are the following: 

• MHD/Delpan Quarantine Facility — 50 tests per day
• Ospital ng Maynila — 20 tests per day
• Sta. Ana Hospital/MIDCC — 30 tests per day
• Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center — 50 tests per day
• Ospital ng Tondo — 17 tests per day
• Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital — 15 tests per day
• Ospital ng Sampaloc — 50 tests per day

The swab tests will be processed by either the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) or the Philippine General Hospital which is now operating as a COVID-19 referral center.

PGH Director Dr. Gap Legaspi has committed to the Manila City government that they can release the results in two to three days, the Manila PIO said.

As of this writing, about 934 swab tests have already been conducted. The breakdown is as follows:

• Sta Ana Hospital/MIDCC — 451 tests
• Manila Health Department — 190 tests
• Ospital ng Maynila — 106 tests
• Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center — 55 tests
• Ospital ng Tondo — 30 tests
• Ospital ng Sampaloc — 44 tests
• Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital — 40 tests

Manila is the third city in Metro Manila to announce that it will conduct localized mass testing, next to Valenzuela City and Quezon City.

Latest data showed that the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippine capital has exceeded 300, with 38 deaths, and 25 recovered patients.