SPMC. Photo from Facebook
DAVAO CITY—As the number of COVID-19 cases continued to decline, the city government designated the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) as the sole hospital to cater to COVID-19 patients, to free up the other hospitals to treat patients with other illnesses.
The city also lifted the physical barriers required among motorcycles, PUVs, and PUJs since Tuesday, Nov. 2, even as it ramped up vaccination drives to boost citizens’ protection against COVID-19.
Mayor Sara Duterte issued Executive Order No. 60 Series of 2021, which designated the SPMC as the single hospital for confirmed COVID-19 patients in the city, saying this was the most prudent move now that the cases showed a continuous decrease in the city and recovery rates among those infected improved.
“Designating a single hospital to cater to COVID-19 cases will protect healthcare personnel assigned in other hospitals from exposure to workplace-acquired COVID-19,” the mayor said.
The move would also free up the COVID-19 beds and medical staff of private hospitals to cater to non-COVID cases.
EO 60 also provides that private hospitals shall ensure support to SPMC by not admitting confirmed positive COVID-19 patients, reopening their facilities to accommodate COVID-19 patients in case of a surge, and preparing for the possibility of being designated again as a COVID-19 hospital in the future.
The order said the city government and the Department of Health (DOH) would inform private hospitals when they should reopen as a COVID-19 hospital.
City Hall cited as the basis for the order the City Health Office (CHO) report on the declining number of active COVID-19 cases, which reached 2,328 from 4,031 on Oct. 17.
CHO also noted an improving COVID-19 recovery rate within two weeks from 86.4 percent on Oct. 10 to 92.4 percent on Oct. 25.
Of the 1.2 million people targeted to be vaccinated fully in this city to achieve herd immunity, 71.77 percent have received their first dose, and 62.19 percent have been fully vaccinated, according to the Davao COVID-19 Task Force.
Passenger barriers
The city also lifted the mandatory use of passenger barriers among motorcycles, public utility vehicles, and jeepneys starting Nov. 2.
Executive Order No. 63 Series of 2021, which lifted the use of passenger barriers among motorcycles, jeepneys, and other public utility vehicles, said these would no longer be required but were still being encouraged.
As of Nov. 1, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases placed the city under Alert Level 3, prompting the city to ease some restrictions.
“There is a need to ease and loosen restrictions following the decrease in the number of cases reported and the active vaccination rollout within the city,” the EO signed by the mayor said.