Spox Roque says PH should have expanded COVID-19 testing earlier

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque stated that the Philippines should have expanded its COVID-19 testing capacity immediately after the first case was detected in January.

Roque acknowledged shortcomings in the government's response to the pandemic, noting that it took two months for the country to establish more than one testing facility, with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) being the sole facility for a period.

He expressed that a better approach would have been to immediately broaden testing capabilities upon the detection of the initial imported COVID-19 case.

Despite initial delays, Roque highlighted that the Philippines' testing capacity has significantly improved, with over 70 laboratory testing centers now operating nationwide.

The country's daily testing capacity has risen from approximately 2,000 tests in March to over 74,000 tests per day as of July 3.

Roque previously asserted that the Philippines is succeeding in its battle against COVID-19, even with ongoing increases in infections.

He also indicated that with the enhanced health system capacity, the Philippines is capable of a gradual economic reopening.