The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) passed again another proficiency test for its molecular laboratory to open soon in Passi, Iloilo.

“This will be our 13th installment nationwide; we only wait for the completion of requirements after passing the test last December 14, 2020, in compliance with the Department of Health,” PRC chairman and CEO, Senator Richard Gordon said.

The newly built molecular laboratory, which will service the entire province of Iloilo and its nearby areas for faster testing, is equipped with two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines and one ribonucleic acid (RNA) extractor which can process up to 1,000 tests a day.

“The Philippine Red Cross continues to establish more molecular laboratories to support our people with accessible health facilities. With the completion of the Passi molecular laboratory, we pave the way to testing more people and helping to stop the spread of the virus,” Gordon said.

The PRC recently opened a new molecular laboratory in Surigao.

The two new laboratories will further boost the testing capacity for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), which is currently at 44,000 tests a day. (PNA)