Manila Bulletin

2nd quarantine facility opens in Cebu

- By MINERBA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – Another Bayanihan Cebu IEC Field Center quarantine facility located at the Cebu IEC Convention Center on Pope Jahn Paul II Avenue, Cebu City opened its doors Monday, May 25, to coronaviru­s disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with mild to moderate symptoms.

The Bayanihan Cebu IEC Field Center has a 130-bed capacity that consists of five enclosed fully air-conditione­d Negative Air Pressure shelter bays, equipped with medical-grade high efficiency particulat­e arresting (HEPA) filters that clean the air coming out of each bay to ensure utmost safety for the patients, frontliner­s and staff, as well as the neighborin­g communitie­s.

DOH-7 Regional Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas noted that the health sector has already increased its capacity to test for COVID-19 with the establishm­ent of three molecular laboratori­es in Cebu.

“The new challenge now is isolating and ensuring that the capacity of the health system in the region would not be overwhelme­d,” Bernadas said.

Cebu Archbishop Msgr. Jose Palma led the ceremonial blessing with clergy members of the Archdioces­e of Cebu and key government local officials to mark the opening of the facility, and later turned over to the Department of Health (DOH-7) here that has been designated to run and oversee the operations of the quarantine facility.

The first facility, the Bayanihan Cebu Field Center-SHS, was establishe­d by the DOH-7 in partnershi­p with Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and the Office of the Presidenti­al Assistant for the Visayas. It can accommodat­e 50 COVID-19 patients, and is being managed as an infirmary.

The two Bayanihan Cebu Field Centers have enclosed, fully air-conditione­d shelter bays that have Negative Air Pressure facilities equipped with medical grade high efficiency particulat­e arresting (HEPA).

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines