Why virus patients end up in quarantine facilities
COVID-positive patients are brought to designated quarantine facilities so they can be provided with medical treatment and assistance and reduce community transmission of the virus, according to Secretary Vince Dizon.
“In order to curb the spread of the virus in our communities, especially in densely populated communities, which is a significant portion of our area in our big cities like Metro Manila, we need to make sure that those who test positive for the virus are isolated from other people especially their loved ones who can easily be infected,” said Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19.
Under the government’s “Oplan Kalinga,” Dizon said apart from the infected individuals, their loved ones and the community at large are being taken care of.
He said Oplan Kalinga was already implemented in Navotas and Malabon where almost 100 COVID-positive patients are now in quarantine facilities.
Dizon said local government units and barangay health workers are the ones who will be referring and transporting COVID-positive patients to designated quarantine facilities, with the assistance of law enforcement units.
“It’s not true that the way this will be implemented is for policemen to be knocking on doors and picking people up from their homes. That is absolutely false. I want to assure everybody that that is not what’s going to happen,” he said.
Oplan Kalinga was already implemented in Navotas and Malabon where almost 100 COVID-positive patients are now in quarantine facilities.
COVID-positive patients with mild symptoms or are asymptomatic can undergo home quarantine provided that they can be isolated in a separate bedroom, they have their own bathroom, and they are not living with vulnerable individuals, according to Dizon.
He also emphasized that one of the most important factors in the fight against COVID-19 is still basic discipline in wearing masks, good hygiene, and practicing physical distancing.
“We have to enforce these standards on our people and we have to communicate with them that we need to do this. Our people have to take the responsibility of fighting COVID-19 to ourselves. We have to be responsible in really making sure that we protect ourselves and other people, especially the vulnerable,” he said.