DESPITE the increase in the Critical Care Utilization Rate (CCUR) in Cagayan de Oro, Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) liaison officer Dr. Bernard Rocha said they still accept coronavirus-positive patients.

"Sa karon, makaingon gyud mi nga with the part of NMMC, being the Covid referral hospital, kaya pa namo," Rocha said.

"Ang amo lang hangyo sa katawhan is, do not get to the point in which you will be admitted already sa NMMC," he added.

According to Rocha, the Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease (Cereid) facility in Barangay San Simon is now open for Covid-19 patients who are not a part of the NMMC staff.

Before the opening, the Cereid was limited to coronavirus-positive NMMC staff members.

Rocha said NMMC, at present, has 52 isolation beds, 27 of which are being used by admitted patients.

The Cereid, on the other hand, has 56 isolation beds.

Rocha added that those who will be admitted to the Cereid are Covid-19 patients with mild condition. The severe and critical cases will be at the NMMC.

Mayor Oscar Moreno, for his part, said he is planning to increase the number of temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMF) of the city. He is relieved by the opening of the Cereid.

"Although before this opening, ang Cereid was more or less limited to NMMC staff members. Previously, ang NMMC staff members, kung asymptomatic, didto man na sa atong TTMF. Kini karon, naa na sa Cereid," Moreno said.

"Nalibre ang atong space sa TTMF. Samot pa karon nga i-open kanang 56," he added.

Cagayan de Oro's CCUR is at 63.37 percent. The threshold is 70 percent. If the city's CCUR exceeds the 70 percent threshold, this means the city will be put at high risk and the possibility of a lockdown is likely to happen.

"We need to anticipate kaysa kanang we ignore it and then later on to be defensive kay people from manila begin to ask," Moreno said.

"Sa ako, kung kinahanglan mag inistriktoha ta, pwede man pero dapat di nata paingon diha kay dapat nasabtan na sa katawhan nga kun di ka mag face mask, di ka mag face shield, di ka mohugas og kamot, uban ka sa gathering, matakdan ka gyud. It’s as simple as that," he added.