The National Kidney and Transplant Institute said Tuesday it would close its outpatient services starting Friday, Jan. 7, as the country sees a renewed surge in COVID-19 infections.
All consultations from Jan. 7 onwards will be shifted to telehealth services until further notice, NKTI said.
"Private outpatient clinics, however, are left to the discretion of the physician. Private patients are advised to coordinate with their respective doctors regarding their scheduled appointments," the hospital said in an advisory.
The hospital also advised individuals seeking to avail of COVID-19 RT-PCR testing that swabbing would be limited to 100 patients a day starting Thursday due to the increasing number of laboratory staff on quarantine.
- 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. (first 50 patients only)
- 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (first 50 patients only)
On Tuesday, the Philippines reported 5,434 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the country's total active cases to 29,809.
The government has implemented stricter COVID-19 protocols in Metro Manila and nearby provinces Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal as it warned the public of rising cases due to the hyper-contagious Omicron coronavirus variant.
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