Asymptomatic COVID-19 patients can be transferred to hotels – DOH

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday said asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019  (COVID-19) patients  in quarantine facilities threatened by flash floods due to Typhoon Rolly may be transferred to hotels and other isolation facilities.

“Number one, ‘yung mga walang sintomas na COVID-19 cases ay puwede na itong ilipat sa mga hotel, isolation facility or another identified safe temporary isolation facility,” DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a televised briefing.

(COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic can be transferred to hotels, isolation facilities or another identified safe temporary isolation facilities.)

COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms who do not need monitoring and are not experiencing difficulty of breathing can also be transferred to another facility, Duque said.

But severe patients of the respiratory disease must be transferred to DOH or provincial health facilities and hospitals to ensure they are being monitored by medical experts.

“Doon naman sa mga malubha, yung mga kinakailangan i-monitor, meron pong sintomas katulad ng hirap sa paghinga, kinakailangan i-diretso ito sa level one o level two DOH facilities o provincial health facilities, mga hospital dahil kinakailangan bantayan natin,” Duque said.

(The severe cases who have symptoms like difficulty in breathing, must be brought to level one or two DOH facilities or provincial health facilities and hospitals because we need to monitor them.)

Duque also urged local government units to especially look after evacuated senior citizens since they are more prone to infection.

Thousands of families have been evacuated in parts of Luzon as Typhoon Rolly roared toward the Bicol region and Southern Luzon.

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