LGUs urged to set up Covid-19 facilities

DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) - Zamboanga Peninsula assistant director Joshua Brillantes has urged the local government units (LGUs) in the region to establish isolation facilities to be used in preventing the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Brillantes said the establishment of the facility is in preparation for the arrival of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and residents stranded in other places due to the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine.

The DOH official added the ideal bed capacity of the isolation facility is one percent of the population of a particular province, municipality, and city.

He also said there are a lot of OFWs set to return home once and “we should have a ready place where to quarantine them.”

On April 29, 18 OFWs arrived in Zamboanga City from Manila aboard M/V Saint Michael The Archangel of the 2GO shipping lines.

The 18 OFWs are currently under quarantine at the Harmony Village of the Italian-administered Silsilah Dialogue Movement at Sitio Pitogo in Sinunuc village, Zamboanga City.

The isolation area is also one of the facilities needed to shift to general community quarantine from enhanced community quarantine.

The City Government has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority (Zamboecozone) for the use of two warehouse-type edifices of Zamboecozone as a quarantine facility.

Zamboecozone chairperson and administrator Raul Regondola said they still have two more similar structures that can be use as quarantine facility should there is a need for additional area. (SunStar Zamboanga)