Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto drops by the Pasig Central Elementary School to check up on the City Health Office Environmental Sanitation Office Disinfection Team as the group disinfects classrooms and premises of the school on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. INQUIRER / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — Amid the growing woes fueled by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), some good Samaritans are extending helping hands to the government in the nationwide drive against the pandemic.
In Pasig City, for instance, the owner of a private facility has offered that their establishment be used to house those who need to undergo quarantine.
“Quarantine area was just turned over to us by the owner. It will be able to house about 100 people for quarantine,” Mayor Vico Sotto said in a text message to INQUIRER.net.
Sotto said the facility is “more or less ready” and will be operational “probably this afternoon.” He said only minor preparations are being taken care of by the local government as of posting time.
It was not immediately clear for which purpose the private facility was used prior to being offered as a quarantine area. Sotto has also yet to disclose the exact location of the quarantine center as of this post.
According to the mayor, the Pasig City government would only need to pay minimal fees for electricity and water that will be used by the patients who will be accommodated in the building.
Data from the Department of Health as of Tuesday showed that of the 187 individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease, 11 are residents of Pasig City.
They are patients number 8, 18, 19, 37, 42, 54, 57, 66, 106, 109, and 111. Some of them are admitted in different hospitals in other cities in Metro Manila. Other hospitals in Pasig City are also accommodating some COVID-19 positive patients from other cities.
Nationwide, the number of deaths related to the virus remains at 12.
Aside from setting up a quarantine center, the Pasig City government is also implementing other measures to help its residents cope up with the suspension of public transport operations implemented in the entire Luzon under the enhanced community quarantine, which started on March 17 and will end at midnight on April 13.
Among these measures are allowing tricycle operations to service those exempted by the quarantine, especially those needing health treatment, and free bus service for “essential personnel,” including health workers.
COVID-19, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. The virus is related to that which causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome but is not as deadly, with only around three percent mortality rate.
WHO said 80 percent of patients experience mild illness and eventually recover from the disease, while some 14 percent experience severe illness and five percent were critically ill.
The virus is spread through small droplets from the nose or mouth when those infected coughs or sneeze. Health authorities urge the public to practice frequent hand washing, cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and avoid close contact with those exhibiting respiratory symptoms to prevent infection.