A densely populated sitio in Barrio Luz is placed under lockdown starting Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, after three COVID-19 cases were reported there. | Photo courtesy of Councilor Dave Tumulak
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The number of positive cases in Sitio Zapatera, Barangay (Barrio) Luz has been rapidly increasing in the past days and Cebu City does not yet have the quarantine facilities to house them.
In total, Barrio Luz has recorded 53 cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the past five days and only one is symptomatic.
With this, Mayor Edgardo Labella has ordered the transfer of the patients to the Barrio Luz National High School for isolation.
The school will be equipped with beds, basic medical equipment, and will be manned by medical personnel guarded by the police to ensure the safety and isolation of the positive cases.
Two of the cases are children, two nine-month babies. They will instead be brought to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) for isolation as children are much more vulnerable to the virus.
“Karon lang ibutang nato sila dinha sa National High School aron maseparate lang sila didto sa mga tawo kay huot man gyod na nga informal settler community,” said the mayor.
(As of now, we will place them at the National High School so they will be separated from the people because the area is a tight informal settler community.)
The positive cases of other barangays will also be brought to the CCMC since they are only individual cases.
Labella also expects more space for the asymptomatic patients by Saturday as the Bayanihan Quarantine Center will open along General Maxilom Avenue Extension or at the old Sacred Heart School. This would have a 100 to 200 bed-capacity.
Block 27 at the North Reclamation Area (NRA) is also expected to finish in the next week with a capacity of 130 beds.
The mayor assured the public that the patients will be taken care of and should they manifest symptoms, they will be immediately brought to a medical facility. /rcg