ASIDE from two isolation facilities, the Naga City Government has reactivated its three other quarantine facilities to accommodate more Covid-19 patients who are experiencing mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, and those suspected to be Covid-19-positive.
The South Poblacion and Langtad Elementary Schools are isolation facilities while Inoburan, Cepoc and Colon Elementary Schools are reactivated as quarantine facilities before Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia declared a modified enhanced community quarantine in 11 local government units in Cebu Province including Naga City.
Naga City Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong told SunStar Cebu that she had an arrangement with the Department of Education Central Visayas (DepEd 7) in 2020 to use these schools as quarantine facilities and that she has submitted a letter to DepEd 7 regarding the reactivation.
Chiong said these schools have covered courts where oxygen tanks and other emergency drugs are available and managed by doctors and nurses.
Chiong said after the surge in 2020, only one quarantine facility remained. However, they reactivated two other facilities before Aug. 11 as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.
Chiong said two isolation facilities are to accommodate confirmed positive patients while three are to accommodate persons deprived of liberty freed from jail, patients discharged from hospitals, significant others of Covid-19 patients from hospitals who are waiting for their Covid-19 test results.
Chiong said she has not implemented a granular lockdown yet as Covid-19 cases in Naga City are still manageable.
“When there is a need, we will implement a granular lockdown. So far, we are more on isolating the positive cases in our facilities. That way, only a few will be affected, compared to imposing a lockdown on a whole purok,” Chiong said.
Chiong said those who test positive in rapid antigen tests but are asymptomatic are allowed home isolation. However, those who test negative in rapid antigen tests but are symptomatic shall undergo a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test.
“So at least we will know who have the virus, making sure that those who are positive are isolated and first generation close contacts are subjected to home quarantine,” Chiong said.
As of Aug. 22, Naga City has 132 active cases (10 of which are new), 80 deaths and 726 recoveries, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 938. / MVE