34 COVID-19 patients who have recovered from their infection were allowed to leave the Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC) last June 19. |Photos courtesy of Cebu City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC) at the North Reclamation Area will be expanded to be able to accommodate more Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, especially front-liners who may contract the disease.
Mayor Edgardo Labella said on Friday, August 19, 2020, that the CCQC will be able to accommodate 200 additional beds for the COVID-19 mild to moderately symptomatic patients once the expansion is done.
He said the expanded area will also include a separate dormitory for front-liners who may contract the disease.
“Ato makita kining 200 units. Mao ning atong himoong quarters sa mga frontliners kay we should give them enough support because they are risking their lives for the pandemic,” said Labella.
(We can see 200 units. This will become the quarters for the frontliners because we should give them enough support because they are risking their lives for the pandemic.)
In addition, five dialysis units will be placed in the expanded area of the CCQC.
In two weeks, the dialysis center will be functional. It will be used solely for COVID-19 dialysis patients. Another dialysis center will be established at a mall in the city for non-COVID-19 dialysis patients.
While the construction of the expanded areas are ongoing, CCQC Administrator Yvonne Cania said that they have temporarily stopped receiving patients.
They are trying to upgrade the center to a Level II facility to decongest the hospitals and allow the health system a time to recover from being overwhelmed last June 2020.
Cania said once the expansion is completed, the facility can cater to severe cases of the COVID-19.
Labella said that based on the data submitted by the hospitals, the COVID-19 occupancy in Cebu City hospitals are down to 40 percent.
The mayor said the city cannot be complacent since most COVID-19 cases in the provinces in Central Visayas are being taken to Cebu City for hospitalization.
With the increasing number of cases in Cebu, Negros Oriental, Bohol, and now even Siquijor, he expects more patients to come in.
Labella assured the public that the expansion will be completed before August ends. /bmjo
Read: Quarantine centers Cebu City’s edge to remain under GCQ — Labella