Quarantine facilities in Manila 89% full, says mayor

By: Cathrine Gonzales - 4 years ago

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. Image from his Facebook account

MANILA, Philippines — Quarantine facilities for COVID-19 patients in the City of Manila are 89-percent full, while hospital occupancy is at 55 percent, Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said Tuesday.

“We have 570 [beds], but we have now about 89-percent occupancy in our quarantine facilities,” he said over ABS-CBN News Channel.

The quarantine facilities are for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, according to the mayor.

Moreno said the city government has been beefing up the capacity of its quarantine facilities even before the renewed surge of infections and continues to prepare its quarantine sites for the projected further increase of COVID-19 cases.

“Nakadisgrasya kami kahapon about 315 bed capacity for our quarantine facility. While it is true na hindi pa namin kailangan, because there is a two-week projection again, so nagreready kami,” he added.

(We have secured 315 bed capacity for our quarantine facility yesterday. While it is true that we don’t need it yet, we are preparing it because there is a two-week projection again.)

According to Moreno, hospitals in Manila have reserved 32 percent of their total capacity for COVID-19 patients.

“Out of 32 percent, yesterday, 55 percent of 32 percent is occupied. So we are still in the, pero delikado pa rin ‘yun para sa akin (but it is still risky for me). I always approach things conservatively and I really look into data,” he added.

As of Monday, Manila has recorded a total of 34,548 confirmed cases of COVID-19, composed of 2,933 active cases, 30,756 recoveries, and 859 deaths.

On Sunday, the city government placed 16 barangays under a four-day lockdown as the number of coronavirus cases continues to increase in Metro Manila.

JPV