THE US has provided $5.3 million worth of humanitarian assistance to the Philippines in support of efforts to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
“The US government approved an additional P269 million in health and humanitarian assistance to help support the Philippines,” the US Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement Wednesday.
US President Donald J. Trump on Sunday made a phone call to President Rodrigo R. Duterte, during which he offered another round of assistance to the Philippines.
“This newest tranche of US assistance will support laboratory and specimen-transport systems and intensify case-finding and disease surveillance.”
It also intends to assist Filipino and international experts in risk communication and infection prevention, among other measures.
The Philippines earlier received $4 million worth of assistance from the US.
The previous round of funding was meant to increase testing capacity to 3,000 samples per day from 200. It also included a donation of 1,300 cots for Philippine medical facilities.
The Department of Health said as of April 14, testing was available in 15 separate centers. — Charmaine A. Tadalan
