DAVAO Region posted no new confirmed case of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) for four consecutive days, maintaining the figure of positive cases at 177.
Based on the data from the Department of Health (DOH)-Davao, from May 10 to 13, Davao Region had not reported a single positive case.
According to the DOH's Covid-19 tracker on its website, no tests were conducted on May 10. On May 11, 136 tests were conducted while on May 12, 230 tests were conducted. Zero cases were reported on May 11 and 12.
DOH has yet to release the May 13 data.
Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) chief Dr. Leopoldo Vega said Thursday, May 14, that during those days, tests were being conducted in their laboratory but none of the samples submitted to their facility turned out to be positive.
But he said the result does not mean that there are no more cases in the region.
"Zero actually is just a snapshot of the day's test of suspected patients. Meaning it can change anytime since the virus is still very much around," Vega said. "We had tests but no one turned positive."
As of 1 p.m. Thursday, May 14, he said they found seven new positive cases among the samples tested.
Vega said that SPMC can still accommodate an average of 150 to 200 tests per day.
He added that there has been an increase of personnel to take swabs or those who extract swabs from the suspected patients but as to the number of medical technologists who process the swabs, there are still two.
"For testing, no [additional medtechs] since it needs rigorous training in the molecular lab," Vega said.
SPMC is not only catering samples in Davao Region but the entire Mindanao.
Vega added that they already started using the kits turned over by National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. on May 9, which boosted their testing capacity.
During Galvez's visit, he gave the testing kits to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, including rapid 16,000 polymerase chain (PCR) test kits.
He also said that this may last for two months.
On Tuesday, May 12, during a virtual presser, SPMC medical professional staff chief Dr. Ricardo Audan said with the new supply of available kits, it will increase the testing capacity of SPMC up to 300 tests per day.
He earlier expressed on concern the limited number of extraction kits and without those, PCR test kits may not be used. But he said Thursday that First District Representative Paolo Duterte donated over 1,000 extraction kits.
Audan added that the DOH has already procured extraction kits worth P2.5 million.