2nd quarantine facility opens in Cebu
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).