Navotas opens community isolation facility for mild COVID-19 patients

Image: screenshot from Facebook/@TiangcoToby

MANILA, Philippines — The local government of Navotas City on Tuesday opened its community isolation facility (CIF) set to hold mild coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, Mayor Toby Tiangco announced.

Tiangco via Facebook said the city’s CIF, a converted four-story building of the Navotas National High School, has 100 beds and is equipped with CCTV cameras aimed to make monitoring patients more convenient for the facility’s medical staff.

“Sa pamamagitan ng CIF, maiiwasan po natin ang pagkalat ng virus. Nababawasan din nito ang panganib na mahawaan ng mga pasyenteng may COVID-19 ang kanilang pamilya o mga kapitbahay,” the mayor noted.

(With the CIF, we can stop the spread of the virus. This also reduces the risks of COVID-19 patients infecting their families or neighbors.)

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The mayor said each room is also equipped with televisions and NavoConnect free WiFi to provide entertainment for patients during their quarantine period.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier this month directed local government units to establish isolation facilities. LGUs may utilize the P30-billion aid called “Bayanihan Grant to Cities and Municipalities” to create the said facilities and other anti-COVID-10 measures, according to DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya.

“Hanggang maaari, ayaw po nating magamit ang pasilidad na ito. Ayaw nating dumami pa ang ating mga pasyente kaya sana ay magtulungan po tayo para maging ligtas sa sakit. Manatili po sa bahay at sundin ang mga panuntunan ng quarantine,” Tiangco stressed.

(As much as possible, we would not like to use this facility. We do not want to have more patients so let us help each other so we can be safe from the disease. Stay at home and follow quarantine protocols.)

As of Tuesday, Navotas has recorded 35 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of the number, 14 are currently admitted or under home quarantine, 11 have already recovered, while 10 have died.

EDV