THE Department of Health (DoH) reported 295 new infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 9,223.

Four more patients died, raising the death toll to 607, it said in a bulletin. Ninety more patients have gotten well, bringing the total recoveries to 1,214.

Based on the agency’s COVID-19 tracker, 103,692 people have been tested as of May 1, 11,097 of whom tested positive while 92,375 were negative.

The positive tests may be higher than the total confirmed cases because these need to be validated and processed, the agency said.

Undersecretary Maria Rosario on Friday said that the Philippine Red Cross had started the full-scale operation of its testing laboratory.

The department is also awaiting the delivery of testing equipment for the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga province by May 10, which will increase the daily testing capacity by 3,000.

The Marikina Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory had been certified to test samples.

Ms. Vergeire said they were coordinating with laboratories undergoing certification and the private sector to meet the daily testing capacity of 30,000 by end-May. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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