14-day shutdown for Ospital ng Tondo as COVID-19 hits 32 frontliners

MANILA, Philippines — Ospital ng Tondo in the city of Manila will be temporarily closed anew after 32 medical frontline workers tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Mayor Isko Moreno announced on Friday.

“Yung Ospital ng Tondo ipasara ko rin ng pansamantala, baka within the day, I will sign the document,” Moreno said in an interview on Teleradyo.

(I will have Ospital ng Tondo closed in the meantime, maybe within the day, I will sign the document.)

“May request yung aming director sapagka’t mayroon kaming 32 na patients na doctor at nurses ng aming sariling ospital. Para ma-ease ang burden na ang pasyente ay doctor na rin, ang pasyente ay nurse na rin. Para mabigyan sila ng panahon na maka-recover,” the mayor added.

(There is a request from our director because we have 32 patients who are medical workers in our own hospital. The closure will ease their burden as the doctors and nurses are patients as well. It would give them time to recover.)

Moreno said the hospital will not admit patients for 14 days or two weeks to allow health workers to recover from their exhaustion.

During the radio interview, Moreno said the hospital will be closed for 10 days but Manila Public Information Office later clarified that the temporary shutdown of hospital operations will take effect for two weeks.

Moreno, however, assured that COVID-19 patients staying inside the hospital will continue receiving medical attention.

The hospital closed most of its facilities last May 11 to give way for cleaning and disinfection. It resumed full operations last May 26.

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