Gealon defends Cebu City Quarantine Center, says facility is ready to accommodate patients

Cebu City Legal Officer says quarantine center remains unused because there are no patients who need to be isolated in the facility yet

In this photo from Mayor Edgardo Labella’s Facebook page, the Cebu City Quarantine Center at the North Reclamation Area is seed during its construction phase.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Legal Officer Rey Gealon defended the Cebu City Quarantine Center at the North Reclamation Area (NRA) that was built for symptomatic patients of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

This after an opposition city councilor said that the P50-million facility is unfit for use despite having been opened last April 25, 2020.

Gealon, who is also the spokesperson of Mayor Edgardo Labella, said the facility is ready and waiting to accommodate patients. It remains unused because there are no patients who need to be isolated in the facility yet.

“Malipay gani ta kay pasabot ana wala pa naoverwhelm ang level 2 nga facility. Kining mga pasyente angay mosulod dinha, wa pa niabot sa gidaghanun nga ato nang ipansak diha sa atong quarantine facility,” said Gealon.

(We should be happy because this means that our level 2 facilities are not yet overwhelmed. The patients who need to be isolated there has not reached a certain number that we already need to use our quarantine facility.)

As of May 26, 2020, there are still no patients being quarantined in the NRA facility.

In a recent statement, Councilor Nestor Archival said after his latest visit to the center, the equipment needed to make the pressure inside the building negative is not available or not ready.

Administration Councilor David Tumulak, who leads the city’s disaster risk reduction and management, is asking Mayor Edgardo Labella to utilize the facility now because many symptomatic patients have been crowding the hospitals.

Gealon clarified that COVID-19 patients are classified according to their symptoms. Level 1 patients are asymptomatic and can only be isolated in Barangay Isolation Centers (BIC).

Mildly symptomatic and seriously symptomatic patients are level 2 patients that can be isolated in Level 2 facilities such as the Cebu City Quarantine Centers.

However, the Bayanihan Quarantine Center along General Maxilom Avenue is currently being used as the main quarantine center for Level 2 patients. At least 12 beds out of over 100 beds are currently being used.

Severe cases of the virus or level 3 patients are the only ones that will be sent to the medical facilities for major treatment.

Gealon is silent about the claims of Archival that the equipment at the NRA facility is not yet ready. /bmjo