The Department of Health (DOH) is aiming to finish all backlogs of laboratories today, May 28.
Last May 25, the DOH recorded a backlog of more than 7,000 which dropped to more than 5,000 on May 26 and to 3,683 on May 27.
“Itong backlogs na ito noong nagmeeting kami with the laboratories last Monday (In our meeting with laboratories last Monday on backlogs), we have instructed them to reduce the backlogs in two to three days, as ordered by the Office of the President,” DOH Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire disclosed.
“Mayroon tayong commitment na by tonight, hopefully, maibaba natin nang husto and by tomorrow, we can start laboratories (We have a commitment that by tonight we can reduce it, and by tomorrow, we can start laboratories),” Vergeire added.
Vergeire explained a swab sample is considered a backlog if its result is not yet released after three days. She clarified those released by testing centers which have not yet been validated by the DOH are not considered backlogs.
“For March we had an average of 2.99 days, April 2.8 days, and for May we have an average of 3.15 days. Ito ang time na nagte-take para ma-validate natin ang kaso at mai-tag natin siya as confirmed (This is the time it takes to validate cases and be tagged as confirmed),” she pointed out.
Meanwhile, the DOH said the increase in new COVID-19 cases within the past few days is an artificial rise due to the OFWs who test positive, but clarified there are also cases from other regions.
The DOH added the case doubling time in the country has slowed down to “about seven days.”
As of May 28, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country reached 15,588 after 539 new cases were reported. Recoveries also increased to 3,598 while the number of fatalities climbed to 921.
