PH now has 100 licensed COVID-19 testing labs

The Philippines now has 100 laboratories nationwide licensed to conduct independent testing for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

As of August 6, there are 76 accredited polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) facilities and 24 GeneXpert laboratories.

This marks a significant increase from February, when the country had only one laboratory with a daily testing capacity of 300.

All regions in the country, except for Caraga, now have licensed Covid-19 testing laboratories, with Caraga's facilities in the final stages of the licensing process.

Approximately 86 percent of laboratories undergoing the five-step accreditation process are already on Stage 3 or above.

The licensed laboratories have tested 1,577,105 individuals as of August 5.

The Philippines has logged 119,460 cases as of Thursday afternoon, dislodging Indonesia as the country with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia.