NOAH Complex to be used as isolation center for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The  New Normal Oasis for Adaptation and a Home (NOAH) Complex isolation center at the South Road Properties (SRP) will be the new isolation center for asymptomatic patients here.

This was revealed by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, the overseer of the Interagency Task Force (IATF) in Cebu, as he wants the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients to be removed from the Barangay Isolation Centers (BICs) and transfer them to an area far from the barangays.

Read: Cebu City’s NOAH Complex officially unveiled

In previous statements, Cimatu said that he suspects that the location of the BICs, being at the center of the barangays, is one of the causes of the continuous local transmissions in the villages.

Cimatu said that the NOAH Complex at the SRP is a viable space with over 350 cubicles for isolation of asymptomatic patients.

He said more cubicles will be added to accommodate more asynptomatic patients and they will no longer remain at the barangays.

Furthermore, Cimatu wants to convert some of the city’s already-built structures for additional isolation centers including coliseums, gymnasiums, and sports centers.

“Iconvert natin yung mga gymnasiums. Tingin ko pag ideretso nating ang mga asymptomatic doon, lalong magdecrease yung cases sa mga barangays,” said the secretary.

(Let us convert the gymnasiums. If we take the asymptomatic patients there, the cases in the barangays will decrease.)

At present , the IATF has not identified the particular barangays that will be placed under total or granular lockdowns.

Cimatu said they are looking to place 20 high risk barangays under granular lockdown, which means only affected sitios will be restricted.

Still, the discussions continue as the to what threshold of cases should a barangay reach to determine whether they will be placed under total lockdown or granular lockdown.

“Yung mga barangays nakalock-down naman sila ngayon simultaneously. Pero siguro we can have yung iba talaga under super-lockdown. Establish natin yung threshold, pag nakapasok sila dun, (super) lockdown sila,” said Cimatu.

(The barangays are currently under simultaneous lockdown. However, there are some which will be placed under super lockdown. We will establish the threshold that if they can reach that, the barangay will be under super lockdown.)

For the IATF overseer, Cebu City has improved a lot in the past week since the stricter implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) has been set in place.

Cimatu said that Cebuanos have begun to get used to the strict guidelines and comply with them as well.

“Ngayon, makita mo, very strict ang lockdown. Ang compliance di na katulad noon. Minimum health standard, sinusunod na nila yan,” said Cimatu.

(Now you can see a very strict lockdown. The compliance is unlike before. Minimum health standards, they already follow these.)

The ex-general is hoping that this improvement in the attitude in Cebu City will in turn lead to a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city in the next few weeks. /bmjo