ALL of Cebu City’s quarantine facilities, including those in the barangays, are again ready to accept Covid-19 patients following a rise in cases this month.
On Friday, January 22, 2021, the Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC) resumed operations after a few months of temporary closure.
The CCQC was earlier ordered closed by Mayor Edgardo Labella to allow the facility’s expansion to become an extension of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
The City allocated P60 million to expand the CCQC, constructing dormitories for medical personnel assigned there.
Yvonne Cania, administrator of CCMC and CCQC, said the facility can accommodate 160 patients.
It has started receiving patients previously admitted in the Normal Oasis for Adaptation and a Home (Noah) Complex at the South Road
Properties (SRP).
Councilor Joel Garganera, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) deputy chief implementer, assured that Cebu City has enough facilities to accommodate Covid-19 patients.
Garganera said aside from hospitals in the city, there are other isolation facilities that can accommodate both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
These include the CCQC which can accommodate patients with severe conditions, Noah Complex, IC3 Bayanihan Center, and barangay isolation centers (BICs) which will be reactivated anytime if needed.
Noah manager Jocelyn Pesquera said the complex could accommodate up to 360 patients.
As of January 22, Friday, 328 Covid patients had been admitted at Noah.
The Noah complex, originally the Bigfoot Studio, has a total floor area of 6,593 square meters.
Meanwhile, IC3 Bayanihan Center could accommodate 130 patients with mild to moderate conditions.
The EOC data show that as of Jan. 21, 54 patients were confined at the Bayanihan Center.
Barangay control points
Due to the rising cases, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) asked the EOC to reactivate the city’s 40 barangay control points.
Garganera said the EOC met with the CCPO and the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) to discuss the matter for an organized, well-coordinated implementation.
As of January 21, Cebu City had 687 active Covid cases.
The city has a positivity rate of 8.25 percent out of the 140,930 individuals tested.
Of the city’s 80 barangays, 59 currently have active Covid cases while 21 others had no reported case for the past 14 days.
Hotels
Meanwhile, Garganera said hotels in the city which were accredited by the Department of Health (DOH) are expected to accommodate patients by the end of January.
The DOH allows isolation in some of the hotels to decongest government-run quarantine facilities.
DOH 7 spokesperson Mary Jean Loreche said these accredited hotel facilities need to comply with all requirements before they are allowed to operate.
Loreche said 10 hotels in Cebu are currently Department of Tourism and DOH-accredited isolation facilities. (PAC/JJL/JKV/WBS)