BACOLOD City still has enough quarantine facilities to accommodate the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients in the city.

Councilor Renecito Novero, chairman of the city's quarantine center action team, stressed this Monday, September 21, after two additional hotels in the city agreed to be used as isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients.

Novero said the two hotels can accommodate more than 50 Covid-19 patients.

"For those who are not willing to be transferred to the city's school quarantine centers, they can use the hotel but they will pay for it. Our quarantine center in schools is for free and for now, we have enough quarantine facilities for our Covid patients," he said.

At present, Bacolod City has a total of 11 existing schools used as quarantine centers and it can accommodate more than 900 Covid-19 patients.

Novero said they are also waiting to use the additional 12 public schools as quarantine centers that can provide more than 1,000 bed capacity.

"We are also trying to negotiate with the Roman Catholic Church for the availability of their retreat houses in the city to be used as isolation facilities," he said.

He added that some of the Covid-19 patients preferred to use the hotels for their 14-day quarantine.

As of September 20, Bacolod City has a total of 3,260 Covid-19 cases, with 1,839 recoveries, 1,371 active cases and 50 deaths.

Novero said the City Health Office, along with the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team, also conducted contact tracing to determine those who had close contact with Covid-19 patients.

"So we are preparing more isolation facilities so that we can accommodate those who will be tested positive for Covid-19," he said.