THE newly-opened Uswag Iloilo City Molecular Laboratory at Alternative Learning System (ALS) building in Molo district has started processing swab samples.

The facility can process up to 400 specimens a day. Releasing of results is expected in two days.

"This initiative is part of the City Government's continuous efforts to intensify Covid-19 testing as a highly-advanced area in research to help transform the healthcare system to effectively manage and treat diseases and other health conditions," Mayor Jerry Treñas said.

"This developmental endeavor brings new and revitalized hope to our city and its people as it promises to improve our testing capacity and augment the operations of laboratories for detection of Covid-19 virus," he added.

It has already been granted a license to operate as a testing laboratory by the Department of Health (DOH). This came after the lab got a 100 percent score in the proficiency test administered by DOH-Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

The testing procedures performed are Nucleic Acid Extraction, PCR Mastermix Preparation, Real Time RT-PCR, Interpretation of RT-PCR results, and RT-PCR results reporting. (PR)