CCMC, Block 27 prepped as quarantine centers for Cebu City

The Cebu City Medical Center is being eyed as a quarantine center for suspected coronavirus cases in Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Gerard Vincent Francisco

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government has identified two areas where quarantine centers will be placed to isolate suspected cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Mayor Edgardo Labella said that the Cebu City Medical Center is two weeks away from opening as a quarantine center.

“I am told that we can start using the first three floors in two weeks,” said the mayor.

The CCMC has been in construction since 2015 and the seven-story building is still about to enter its phase 3 of construction.

Still, Labella assured the first three floors can be functional as a quarantine center and can house 200 patients.

The City Health Department has also requested testing machines for the CCMC so suspected cases can be tested immediately.

Aside from the CCMC, the city-owned lot in the North Reclamation Area (NRA), Block 27, is also being eyed as a quarantine center.

The empty lot is being cleared for the purpose of setting up a quarantine center, although Labella is not clear on how the city will develop the place to become a quarantine facility.

Still, the mayor said the area will also accommodate 200 patients once set-up.

The two quarantine centers will allow faster isolation of persons under monitoring (PUM) and persons under investigation (PUI) from both districts of the city.

North District patients will go to Block 27 while south district patients will go to CCMC.

The mayor said funds have already been allotted for the quarantine centers through the P1 billion disaster fund he requested from the City Council. /RCG