THE Mandaue City Government has plans to build isolation centers in Norkis Park in Barangay Looc and Cebu North Bus Terminal in Barangay Subangdaku.
The City was forced to find new isolation centers after the Department of Education (DepEd) told it that it has only until July 30, 2020 to use public schools as isolation centers and barangay isolation units.
All the public schools in Mandaue City are utilized as isolation centers for persons found positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The city’s biggest isolation center is the Mandaue City Central School in Barangay Centro. The facility can accommodate around 1,700 patients.
DepEd-Mandaue City head Nimfa Bongo said the resolution of the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases states that the final day of using public schools as isolation centers is on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.
However, Mayor Jonas Cortes requested for the July 30 extension as the City has yet to look for and build new quarantine facilities.
On Monday, July 6, Norkis Park and Cebu North Bus Terminal were inspected by Cortes together with Maj. Gen. Melquiades Feliciano, co-implementer of National Covid-19 Task Force, and Dr. Sophia M. Mancao, chief of the Department of Health (DOH)-Licensing, Regulation and Enforcement Division.
Feliciano said there is a big chance that the two areas will qualify as isolation centers.
According to Mancao, the two locations are ideal and safe to become isolation facilities as these are away from any neighborhood.
Businessman Norberto Quisumbing Jr., owner of Norkis Park, had told Cortes that the City can use the park.
The Cebu North Bus Terminal lease of contract between the cities of Mandaue and Cebu will expire in October this year; Cortes had made clear of his decision to reclaim the area and not renew the contract.
Early this year, Cortes had sent a letter to Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, telling the latter the Mandaue City Government will no longer renew the lease contract with the Cebu City Government. Cortes had planned to construct a new government center that will house a police station and a fire station before the Covid-19 crisis struck the city.
The operation of the Cebu North Bus Terminal has been closed since Mandaue City was placed on enhanced community quarantine status on March 30.
Cortes said the Local Public Transport Route Plan plotted by his office was recently approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, allowing buses going to northern Cebu to load and unload passengers at malls and Cebu I.T. Park. (KFD)