Quarantine facility to be operational on April 15

THE Cebu City quarantine facility at Block 27 in the North Reclamation (NRA) is targeted to be operational by April 15, 2020.

Special Assistant to the Mayor Jose Daluz III made this announcement on April 3, saying that the construction only needs to be finished and the equipment are ready.

“Ang ato nalang karon kay ang pagpabarug. After the foundation kay diretso na butang. In fact, the beds are already ready (We only need to have this erected. After the foundation is completed, we will then put the equipment),” he said.

Daluz said the project’s target date of completion was supposed to be April 3 but the facility was still on its sixth day of construction as of yesterday.

During a press conference on March 19, Cebu City officials announced that the quarantine facility at the NRA will be completed in 10 days.

Daluz, however, explained that the site development, which started on March 19, was not counted as part of the projected 10-day period of construction. The actual construction of the facility started on March 28.

He added that in a series of discussions, doctors from the City Health Department requested for a negative pressure room within the facility, which the City has taken into account. A negative pressure room is installed in hospitals to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

The quarantine facility will house persons with influenza-like illness (ILI) to detect early signs of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). The one-story collapsible structure can accommodate around 130 persons with ILI. Those with severe acute respiratory infection should be admitted to hospitals, said Daluz.

The City allocated P80 million for the establishment of the facility.

Daluz said once the Covid-19 pandemic is over, the structure can be converted into an office.