Machines that can run up to 3k test for COVID-19 has been bought by the Philippine Red Cross

Philippine Red Cross chairman and Senator Richard Gordon announced that two laboratory machines — which can improve the capacity of existing testing facilities for Wuhan coronavirus — may be operational in next week as it is expected to arrive on Sunday.

Gordon said in an interview in Dobol B News TV program that the Red Cross bought machines that can test 3,000 people a day, 1,500 per machine.


Med-techs can go to the cities that have a noticeable amount of COVID-19 case and conduct a test at the very same place.

The test samples in the flask then will be brought to Red Cross and they will take care of the rest briefly. In three hours test results could be released, according to Gordon.

Gordon said that Initial partnership is ongoing with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Quezon City government.

For the machine to be used, it has to gain the approval of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Gordon pointed out.


The accredited PH laboratory can process 1,000 tests daily according to Dr. Edsel Salvana, the infectious disease expert.

The turnaround time without the backlog (that delays the result) is supposed to be within 24 to 48 hours, Gordon added.

Hotline 1158 has been created by Philippine Redcross for people who suspect themselves to be infected with the disease. They are forming out plans with the authorities for other actions that they can possibly do to prevent the infection from rising, Gordon said.