Thirty four COVID-19 patients, who have recovered from their infection, have been allowed to leave the Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC) on June 19. |Photo courtesy of Cebu City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC) released at least 34 patients who had recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the city’s public information office (PIO) announced.
In a statement published on Sunday, June 21, Cebu City’s PIO announced that the 34 COVID-19 patients were cleared to leave the quarantine center last Friday, June 19 after they had tested negative of COVID-19 during their subsequent repeat tests.
LOOK: CCQC releases 34 recovered patients
”Nagmadaugon ang 34 ka mga pasyente nga giatiman sulod sa Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC) sa ilang pakig-batok sa COVID-19 human sila maka-recover sa maong sakit,” the PIO said.
(34 patients who were treated inside our CCQC were successful in their fight against COVID-19 after they have recovered from the disease.)
The CCQC located at Block 27 of the North Reclamation Area is one of the three quarantine centers the city government has established to accommodate COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms.
According to the city’s PIO, their existence helped ‘decongest’ patients being treated in the hospitals.
“Ang CCQC dako og natabang sa pag-decongest sa mga pasyente nga anaa sa mga tambalanan tungod kay pipila sa mga pasyente niini gikan sa mga hospital ug gibalhin sa pasilidad nga gitukod sa syudad tungod kay mild to moderate na lang ang ilang mga sintomas,” they said.
(The CCQC greatly helped in decongesting our hospitals since some of the patients admitted in the hospitals with mild to moderate symptoms were transferred to our facilities here in the city.)
The other two quarantine centers in Cebu City meant to house mild to moderate COVID-19 cases are found at the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) Convention Center and the Bayanihan Field Center along General Maxilom Avenue.
But according to Mayor Edgardo Labella, these facilities’ occupancy rate is only around 20 percent.
Due to their low utilization, the national government’s anti-coronavirus task force recommended on Saturday, June 20, that there should be Out-Patient Services (OPS) in these quarantine centers.
READ MORE: National gov’t steps in to evaluate Cebu City’s COVID response
Cebu City was reverted back to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) last June 16. Among the reasons cited was the increase in the COVID-19 doubling rate and the scarcity of hospital beds and health care workers needed to attend severe to critical cases.
As of June 20, the city’s health department documented a total of 4, 365 COVID-19 cases. Of these, 2,092 have already recovered while 73 more have died. /dbs