CEBU CITY, Philippines – Local officials here are planning to already close the two Barangay Isolation Centers (BICs) that continue to operate and transfer all asymptomatic patients to the city-owned Normal Oasis for Adaptation and a Home (NOAH) Complex that is located at the South Road Properties (SRP).
Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, head of the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said that as of November 8, 2020, the city was only left with 13 asymptomatic COVID-19 patients who continue to occupy the BICs that are located in Barangays Zapatera in the city’s north district and Mambaling in the south.
“After our meeting with Atty. Jocelyn Pesquera and Councilor Donaldo Hontiveros last Thursday, we reached an agreement that all positive asymptomatic patients will be confined at NOAH. As of now, there are only 13 patients at [the] BICs,” Garganera said in a message sent to the Cebu media.
“We will close down BICs after the remaining 13 patients will comply with their 14 days quarantine,” he added.
In March, the Cebu City government decided to open BICS in more than 15 public schools here to provide an area for the isolation of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients or those who do not exhibit symptoms of the infection. This was done to address the rising number of cases back then.
The Bayanihan Field Center located along General Maxilom Avenue that was also opened to cater to COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms was already closed in October due to the low turnout of patients.
Data from the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) showed that as of November 8, Cebu City is only monitoring 168 active COVID-19 cases or patients still infected with SARS-CoV-2.
The same report also said that the city has already documented a total of 9,455 recoveries from its 10,303 confirmed cases while its death count is now at 680.
Cebu City has been placed under the most relaxed form of community quarantine – modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) – since September. / dcb