The Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH), with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has set up a new laboratory in Pampanga province, north of the capital Manila. It will significantly increase the government’s testing capacity for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to 10,000 tests a day, up from the country’s current daily capacity of around 7,000 tests.

The Pandemic Sub-National Reference Laboratory at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in San Fernando City is funded by a $3 million grant from ADB’s Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, which was approved in March. COVID-19 testing at the hospital will begin on 10 May, with technicians completing weeks of training on biosafety and specimen collection and testing.