Baguio City sets up hotline for suspected coronavirus cases

MANILA, Philippines — While there is yet no confirmed case of the novel coronavirus disease or COVID-19 in Baguio City, the local executives are already proactively putting in place measures to stop the spread of the virus in the City of Pines.

In a Facebook post on Friday, the local government has set up a hotline for residents to call should anyone develop signs and symptoms of the disease. Baguio City Public Information Office assigned numbers that residents may call just in case.

https://www.facebook.com/306028116715984/posts/521251638526963/?d=n

“These persons can go straight to the nearest district health center or medical facility like the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center which set up an open “triage check-up” area in its garden to cater to these patients,” the Baguio City PIO said.

The local government will also set up a containment center exclusively for persons under investigation (PUIs) who have mild symptoms. This, the local government said is in collaboration with the Department of Health Center of Health and Development Cordillera.

“It will be located at the PFVR gym and will be manned by doctors and medical staff from the different hospitals and will be under the command of BGHMC Medical Chief Dr. Ricardo Runez.”

The country’s cases of COVID-19, a disease that first broke out in Wuhan City in China, rose to 52.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is named SARS-COV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. The COVID-19 crisis was considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong, meanwhile, has also ordered the massive disinfection of government offices, schools, and the city public market.

Roads, alleys and stalls will also undergo disinfection.

Magalong also directed concerned city offices such as the General Services Office, City Accounting Office and other “to expedite the procurement of the equipment of materials and the deployment of the manpower for the center particularly to tackle the housekeeping, maintenance, and waste disposal requirements of the facility.”

Local departments were also asked to adopt alternative work arrangements that will not disrupt services.

EDV