Metro Manila’s quarantine facilities 50% occupied, says isolation czar Villar

Quezon Institute Philippine Tuberculosis Society Inc. Modular Hospital and Dormitory has been turned into a COVID-19 isolation and quarantine facility. (Photo courtesy of DPWH)

MANILA, Philippines — Quarantine facilities for COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila are already 50% full, Public Works Secretary and isolation czar Mark Villar said Friday.

“Sa ngayon sa NCR, medyo mataas lang ‘yung usage ng mga quarantine facilities natin at 50% pero sa ibang lugar hindi pa masyadong mataas,” he said in a Palace briefing.

(As of now, in NCR, the usage of quarantine facilities are a bit high at 50%. But in other areas, it’s not as high.)

“Ang national average natin is about 16%,” he added.

At present, there are 602 isolation facilities across the country, with a total bed capacity of 22,352.

The government is aiming to increase this to 720 facilities with a total bed capacity of 26,099 by next month, Villar said.

To further boost the capacity for isolation facilities, Villar said a pop-up hospital for severe COVID-19 cases at the Quezon Institute will soon operate.

“Tuluy tuloy naman ang pagtatayo ng quarantine structures. We will continue to plan for more facilities as the need arises,” he said.

(We are continuously building quarantine structures.)

As of Thursday, March 18, the Philippines has 66,567 active COVID-19 cases, of which 33,162 are in Metro Manila.

EDV