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MANILA - The Philippine Red Cross is planning to begin its mass testing for persons with COVID-19 symptoms in Quezon City next Wednesday, Sen. Richard Gordon said Thursday.

The non-profit group plans to do mass testing nationwide, Gordon said, but it would focus on the city for now as it has the most COVID-19 cases to date at 397.

The Red Cross will use polymerase chain reaction-based test kits to ensure accuracy, Gordon said.

"If we have those tests done, we’ll be able to identify the enemy. The enemy is unseen and the objective of every government is to try to find out who's got them," he told ANC.

The public is urged to call the organization's hotline at 1158 for COVID-19 queries. Those who are qualified to get tested will receive a text message with directions for the process, Gordon said.

As of Wednesday, the Philippines confirmed 96 deaths out of its total 2,311 cases of the novel coronavirus.

Metro Manila and the entire Luzon, home to about half of the country's 100 million people, is under lockdown until April 12 to contain the pandemic.