The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) molecular laboratory of the local government in Barangay San Roque is now open.

Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite, city health officer, said Thursday that the Department of Health (DOH) has issued the License to Operate (LTO) for the laboratory.

Miravite said the laboratory staff has also passed the proficiency test administered by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine under DOH, with a final score of 100 percent.

Operated and managed by the city health office, the facility was constructed using PHP14 million from city government funds.

“The molecular laboratory is [meant] to cater to individuals with symptoms and had closed contacts with Covid-19 patients,” Miravite said.

Earlier, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar promised to provide free testing to Zamboangueños working at the regional offices in Pagadian City who are entering the city.

The molecular laboratory can run 300 tests daily, Miravite said.

It is the sixth of such facilities established in the city as part of the government’s response to the pandemic.

The other five molecular laboratories are operated by the government-run Zamboanga City Medical Center, the Philippine Red Cross, and private hospitals. (PNA)