The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Saturday that the South Korean government handed out detection kits for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) amounting $500,000 which is equivalent to 25.4 million in peso.
The 700 units of Q-Sens 2019-nCoV detection kits arrived on Friday night in Manila and was turned over to DFA central office in Pasay City the next day. Through the effort of South Korea ambassador to the Phippines Han Dong-man, the kits were received by Foreign Secretary Teodor Locsin Jr. , Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and the National Task Force.
According to the DFA, the detection kits can perform up to 35,000 tests which can help in the country's effort to increase its testing capacity.
“The provision of these test kits will be instrumental in the country's war against COVID-19. I am thankful to the Republic of Korea for its unending support. Only through international solidarity and cooperation like this will we be able to succeed against this global enemy,” said Duque in a statement.
As of the moment the Philippines now has 18 laboratories which is capable of conducting 4,500 test everday. Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country have already reached 7,579 in which 862 have recovered.
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