Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing
On March 19, 2020, the Department of Health (DOH) issued Department Circular No. 2020-0143, which provides guidance on COVID-19 laboratory testing amid rising cases in the Philippines. The advisory recommends the use of Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) based testing kits as the standard for COVID-19 diagnosis, while expressing skepticism about the efficacy of lateral flow rapid tests. It notes that only DOH-RITM certified laboratories are permitted to process RT-PCR samples, and private and university labs must undergo assessment for compliance. The DOH is committed to addressing the escalating demand for testing resources across the country.
Quick Answers
- What is Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing about?
- On March 19, 2020, the Department of Health (DOH) issued Department Circular No. 2020-0143, which provides guidance on COVID-19 laboratory testing amid rising cases in the Philippines. The advisory recommends the use of Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) based testing kits as the standard for COVID-19 diagnosis, while expressing skepticism about the efficacy of lateral flow rapid tests. It notes that only DOH-RITM certified laboratories are permitted to process RT-PCR samples, and private and university labs must undergo assessment for compliance. The DOH is committed to addressing the escalating demand for testing resources across the country.
- What type of law is DOH Department Circular No. 2020-0143?
- Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing (DOH Department Circular No. 2020-0143) is a Philippine Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Issuances enacted by the Congress of the Philippines.
- When was Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing enacted?
- Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing (DOH Department Circular No. 2020-0143) was enacted on Mar 19, 2020.
- What is the citation for Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing?
- Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing, DOH Department Circular No. 2020-0143, Mar 19, 2020 (Philippines)
Law Information
- Reference Number
- DOH Department Circular No. 2020-0143
- Date Enacted
- Subcategory
- Department of Health
- Jurisdiction
- Philippines
- Enacting Body
- Congress of the Philippines
Full Law Text
March 19, 2020
DOH DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR NO. 2020-0143
| TO | : | All Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries; Directors of Bureaus, Services and Centers for Health Development; Minister of Health-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; Executive Directors of Specialty Hospitals and National Nutrition Council; Director General of Philippines Institute of Traditional Medicine and Alternative Health Care; Chiefs of Medical Centers, Hospitals, Sanitaria and Institutes; President of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation; Directors of Philippine National Aids Council Secretariat and Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers and All Others Concerned |
| SUBJECT | : | Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing |
With the increasing COVID-19 cases in the country, there is also a subsequent increase in the demand for testing kits all over the country. However, there is still no consensus on how to utilize the testing kits procured from different sources. As such, the Department of Health (DOH) hereby issues this advisory to guide the various healthcare institutions in the use of commercially available test kits:
1. The current recommended testing kit for COVID-19 are the Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) based testing kits.
2. There is currently no clear evidence to support the use of lateral flow rapid (IgG/IgM) tests in the diagnosis of COVID-19.
3. To date, there are four (4) testing kits approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for commercial use. HTcADC
4. Due to the potential hazards of processing the sample, only laboratories where processes have been quality-assured or certified by the DOH-RITM are allowed to process RT-PRC based kits. Private hospitals and laboratories, and university-based laboratories shall undergo DOH-RITM assessment before being allowed to process any sample regardless of FDA registration status of the test kits.
Rest assured, the DOH shall continue to find efficient ways to respond to the increasing demand for COVID-19 testing in the country.
Dissemination of the information to all concerned is requested.
(SGD.) FRANCISCO T. DUQUE III, MD, MScSecretary of Health
Cite This Law
Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing, DOH Department Circular No. 2020-0143, Mar 19, 2020 (Philippines)
Public Advisory No. 20 — COVID-19 Laboratory Testing, DOH Department Circular No. 2020-0143 (Phil. 2020)
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