THE Municipal Government of Hinoba-an is utilizing a beach house as a quarantine facility for its residents in case the number of returning Negrenses overflows due to coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, its official said.

Councilor Jason Tupas, chairman of the committee on health and liaison of the town’s inter-agency task force, said the privately-owned beach house will be a temporary shelter as the refurbishing of their evacuation center is still ongoing.

Tupas said the area is isolated, far from communities, and conducive with the relaxing sea breeze ambiance.

“The beach quarantine will be subjected to proper coordination with the provincial government,” he said, stressing that “all returning residents of Hinoba-an must first go through with the repatriation process of the provincial government.

Citing the Executive Order issued by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, the official said returning residents from outside the province shall be quarantined at the Provincial Healing Center in E.B. Magalona and Mambukal Mountain Resort in Murcia.

They cannot directly go home unless cleared by the provincial government, Tupas pointed out.

Tupas said if they have completed the 14-day mandatory quarantine at the provincial government-designated facility, they will just proceed in their respective houses.

“We are increasing our quarantine capacity locally. In case that there will be a congestion at the Provincial Healing Center and Mambukal Resort, the province might reach out to us to accommodate our constituents,” he said, adding that “we are just preparing.”

Though, the beach house only has a limited bed capacity. It can accommodate maximum of 12 persons.

The municipal government is also putting up isolation tents with maximum of 20 cubicles.

“We are yet to increase it,” Tupas said, adding that the evacuation center once fully refurbished can accommodate 50 persons.