Mayor Vico Sotto said Tuesday (Aug. 18) that the polymerase chain (PCR) testing machines procured by the local government are now ready, as are the laboratory's staff.

However, residents of Pasig City still have to wait a little longer for the molecular laboratory to become fully operational as the staff training required for the facility’s accreditation has been postponed.

“Unfortunately, there have been delays because our schedule for the DOH (Department of Health)-required training at RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine) has been postponed,” Sotto wrote on Facebook.

“This is because they have staff who are under quarantine. Let's pray for their good health and recovery!” he added.

The laboratory, located at Pasig City Childrens’ Hospital which is the city’s referral center for COVID-19 patients, is capable of conducting PCR testing, considered the “gold standard” for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing.

The facility is also equipped to conduct enhanced chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) testing, a type of antibody test that uses blood samples to determine if a patient has been exposed to the virus and if he has developed antibodies against it.

Sotto said the ECLIA machines of the laboratory are continuously conducting testing and processing.

In order to conduct more testing, the mayor has urged medical technologists to apply for the available positions offered by the local government. They may send their applications to [email protected].

According to Sotto, the machines installed at the laboratory can be used to detect other diseases such as dengue and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), among others.

He earlier announced that Pasig’s molecular laboratory is almost fully operational.

“Recently we've had difficulty/backlogs in testing. But with our molecular diagnostic laboratory nearing 100 percent operations, we will be able to solve this problem,” Sotto had said.