New Clark City quarantine facility will be on lockdown – Duque

MANILA, Philippines — The quarantine facility for Filipinos returning from China’s Hubei province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, will be put on lockdown, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

The New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac was offered by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) as the site of a quarantine facility to be handled by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1225378/new-clark-city-to-be-used-as-quarantine-area-for-repatriated-filipinos-from-china

“Nagusap kami ni President and CEO Vince Dizon ng BCDA, ila-lock down naman daw nila (yung facility) kaya walang problema sa pangamba na baka malagay sa alanganin ang mga komunidad, Pero kung iisipin mong maigi, iintindihin natin yung nature nung virus e ito naman hindi katulad ng measles, ng TB (tuberculosis), chicken pox na sa hangin, airborne,” Duque said in an interview on dzMM on Friday.

(I talked with BCDA President and CEO Vince Dizon, he said they will put the facility on lockdown. So there will be no problem with the fear that it may affect the community. If we think about it carefully, the nature of the virus is not like that of the measles, TB, or chickenpox which is airborne).

“Wala hong tiyansa na ito ay makahawa sa mga kababayan natin sa mga karatig barangay. So huwag ho kayong mangangamba,” he added.

(There’s no chance that the virus could infect those in communities near the facility. So do not worry).

The first batch of Filipinos from China is set to arrive in the Philippines early Sunday morning and will be transferred to the facility in Tarlac for a 14-day quarantine.

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The government earlier considered the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DATRC) at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija as a quarantine area for the repatriated Filipinos.

Duque had earlier inspected the 10,000-bed center on Wednesday but in a press conference late Thursday, he announced that the quarantine site will be moved to Tarlac.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1224473/duque-inspects-drug-rehab-facility-eyed-as-quarantine-site-in-nueva-ecija

During the quarantine period, one room will be allotted per person. The room can also accommodate a family of three.

Their movement, however, will be limited to the building only. Packed lunch will be served and prepared for them every day within the facility.

Duque said the rooms also have televisions and refrigerators and are air-conditioned.

“It’s such a nice place, very nice rooms, and we believe nothing less should be provided to our kababayans,” he said during the press conference.

“Rest assured that all our kababayans will be treated with utmost care and dignity as they go through the whole process of repatriation,” he added.

GSG