The national government has authorized the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) to procure an initial 500,000 rapid antigen test kits to boost testing efforts amid a surge in Covid-19 infections, Malacañang said Monday.

Under Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 108, the OCD is allowed to use quick response funds for the procurement of rapid antigen kits to “ensure the swift detection of cases and tracing of close contacts.”

“The Office of the Civil Defense is hereby authorized to procure using their Quick Response Fund under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management or such other available funds, an initial Five Hundred Thousand (500,000) pieces of any of the following Rapid Antigen Test Kits authorized by the Food and Drug Administration,” the resolution read.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the rapid antigen test kits must have undergone the validation of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and/or underwent the emergency use listing (EUL) of the World Health Organization (WHO).

To date, the IATF has identified only three brands of rapid antigen test brands to be purchased namely the Standard Q Covid-19 Ag Test manufactured by SD Biosensor Inc.; Panbio Covid-19 Ag Rapid Test Device manufactured by Abbot; and Wondfo 2019-nCoV Antigen Test (Lateral Flow Method) manufactured by Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech Co., Ltd.

The Wondfo 2019-nCoV Antigen Test is not included in the EUL of the WHO but validated by the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), a WHO Collaborating Center for Laboratory Strengthening and Diagnostic Technology Evaluation.

The OCD may also purchase other antigen test kits which may be approved by the authorities.

The resolution added that the antigen test kits will be used in NCR Plus (National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal), Pampanga, and Batangas.

NCR Plus is currently under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the most strict quarantine status, until April 11.

The quarantine status may be relaxed to modified ECQ (MECQ) beyond April 11 if prevent-detect-isolate-treat-reintegrate (PDITR) measures can slow down Covid-19 infections.

As of Monday, health authorities recorded a total of 803,398 confirmed Covid-19 cases of which 8,355 are new infections.

Ten more deaths brought the death toll up to 13,435 while 145 new recoveries brought the tally to 646,237. (PNA)