Government eyeing more COVID-19 quarantine facilities

This general view a hall converted into a 500-bed capacity COVID-19 coronavirus quarantine facility at the World Trade Center in Manila on April 23, 2020, one of the facilities to house mild cases of the disease. – The facility will be managed by military medical personnel. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The government is planning to establish more coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quarantine facilities following its move to transfer mild and asymptomatic patients to temporary treatment and isolation sites.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday said the government is already in talks with representatives of some hotels and siilar establishment which are being eyed as quarantine facilities.

“We had a meeting with the National Task Force, Metro Manila mayors and other Secretaries of the IATF, pinag-usapan ‘yung mga additional na quarantine facilities para ma-admit natin yung mga mild and asymptomatic (We discussed the additional quarantine facilities for asymptomatic patient amd those with mild symptoms),” Vergeire told reporters in an online forum.

“Nakakuha na sila ng mga hotels. Last Saturday there was this report from Sec. Vince Dizon na nakakuha na siya I think anim na hotels ‘yun na pwede nating idagdag for these quarantine facilities. Aside from that, meron pa silang io-open pang iba na ginawa ng DPWH (I think there are six hotels which can now be turned into quarantine facilities.  Other facilities built by the DPWH will also be opened),” she added

The government allows COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms to self- quarantine at home, provided that they have their own rooms, own toilets and do not have vulnerable individuals in the sae residence.

Those who cannot meet the said requirements will be transferred to government-manned quarantine facilities.

As of July 10, 2020, data from the Department of Health showed that over 74 percent or 52,223 beds are still available in COVID- LIGTAS centers which are community-managed facilities dedicated to quarantine or isolation of suspected COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, 1,958 beds or 61 percent are still available in MEGA LIGTAS COVID-19 facilities such as the Philippine International Convention Center, World Trade Center, Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Ninoy Aquino Stadium, and the Philippine Arena — all managed by the government.

gsg