(Eagle News) — The Philippine National Police has opened another molecular laboratory for COVID-19 testing in Davao City.
The PNP said the lab, which will cater to Police Regional Offices in Western Mindanao, Southern Mindnao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Caraga, and Bangsangmoro Autonomous Region police personnel, non-uniformed personnel and their dependents, is the second in the city.
It has a daily testing capacity of 170.
Both molecular labs in Davao have a combined daily testing capacity of 320.
The PNP said 17 police medical technologists, molecular pathologists, encoders and medical personnel are assigned to operate the new molecular laboratory.
On the first day of its operation last February 22, 84 police personnel from the Police Regional Office 11 underwent RT-PCR testing.
Of them, the PNP said three tested positive for Covid-19.
“I have instructed the Regional Director, Police Brigadier General Filmore B Escobal to optimize the capacity of this Molecular Laboratory for daily RT-PCR tests in order to immediately respond to the needs of our personnel who were infected with the COVID-19 virus here in Mindanao,” PNP Chief Debold Sinas said.
There are two other molecular laboratories in Camp Crame, with a combined daily testing capacity of 420.