Mandaue City opens new isolation center

Mandaue City Presidencia (City Hall) | CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines – Mandaue City’s new isolation unit in Barangay Looc here is now ready to accept coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients.

Lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, executive secretary of Mayor Jonas Cortes, said there are now nurses and medical personnel there and all new COVID-19 positive in the city will now be admitted to the Norkis Park.

The isolation unit can accommodate 79 COVID-19 patients.

Norkis Park also has facilities for exercise and has a garden.

“Ato ning gipangandaman tungod sad sa nagkaincrease nga cases, however, it is still controllable pa no sa ato nga side, nothing to be alarmed kay naa manggyud ato’ng city protocols mao nay ato’ng gisunod ron. Aggressive lang gyud atong contact tracing para ma isolate gyud katung nga nagpositive,” said Ibañez.

Ibañez said the patients in the old isolation unit in the Mandaue City Elementary School will not be transferred to the Norkis Park but will just have to wait until they have fully recovered from the infection.

There are 40 patients left in the isolation center, most of whom are asymptomatic or have no symptoms of the virus.

Ibañez said after all patients would recover from the infection, the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) will immediately disinfect the facility and will turn it over to the Department of Education so that teachers could use the school.

Meanwhile, the Mandaue City Isolation Center (MCIC) built at the former Cebu North Bus Terminal in Barangay Subangdaku will serve as the city’s expanded swabbing center as the city is strengthening its testing and contact tracing.

Ibañez said that a portion of the MCIC will serve as a quarantine facility for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who will be returning home to Mandaue who cannot afford to be quarantined in a hotel or other facility. /rcg