South Korea and China will donate thousands of rapid diagnostic testing kits to Philippines, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Saturday.

“We have a global shortage of our rapid diagnostic test. This RT-PCR, real time polymerase chain reaction testing, now we have 500 of this donated by South Korea. One thousand more are expected,” Duque said.

“China also informed us that they will send about 2,000 (RT-PCR),” he added.

Duque noted that he ordered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast track the evaluation of the testing kits from South Korea.

He said the DOH is monitoring the compliance of the University of the Philippines (UP) to make it the second testing center in the country.

“We are extending the capability of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) we are now monitoring UP, they are just completing their compliance for them to become the second testing center,” Duque said.

As of Friday night, the number of confirmed cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the country reached 64.

The latest case recorded is a 32-year-old man admitted in Bataan St Joseph Hospital and Medical Center. Robina Asido/DMS