UPDATE 1-Philippines defends coronavirus response after soaring cases

*
* Philippines continues to record thousands of infections
daily
* Surge due to better testing capacity -presidential
spokesman
* Less than 2% of its 107 million population tested
* Medicals workers call for more testing, tracing
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(Recasts with presidential spokesman's comments, adds detail)
MANILA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The Philippines has seen a jump in
coronavirus infections due to intensified testing, the
presidential spokesman said on Friday, defending the country's
response to the pandemic after overtaking Indonesia to record
the most cases in Southeast Asia.
Infections have surged nearly seven-fold to more than
122,000, while deaths have more than doubled since a strict
lockdown was lifted in June. It prompted authorities to reimpose
a lockdown in and around Manila earlier this week. "While we do not want to see these numbers, this is a result
of our intensified testing," Harry Roque, spokesman of President
Rodrigo Duterte, told a briefing.
"This means we know where our enemy COVID is," Roque said,
adding that it allowed health authorities to properly trace,
isolate and treat patients.
Eighty medical groups representing more than a million
Philippine doctors and nurses warned last week of a collapse of
the healthcare system without tighter controls and called for
more testing and tracing. Nearly 1.6 million people have been tested in the country,
though this is less than 2% of its 107 million population. The
Philippines has said it plans to test 10 million people by the
second quarter of 2021. There are now 100 testing laboratories in the Philippines,
up from just one in February.
The Philippines is ahead of Indonesia, which has tested
951,910 of its nearly 270 million people, though well below the
per capita testing in neighbours such as Singapore and Malaysia.
The Philippines' health ministry on Friday reported 3,379
additional cases, bringing the total of confirmed infections to
122,754. Deaths rose by 24 to 2,168.
The country now has the highest case load in eastern Asia
including China, dismaying many Filipinos.
"There's still no mass testing up to now. I think that is
the solution and the only way to bring down the cases of
COVID-19 in the country," said Ronald Rueda, a motocycle-riding
courier in Manila.