Mandaue changes mind, COVID-19 patients to remain at MCIU

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines– Contrary to its previous statement, the Mandaue City government will no longer transfer COVID-19 patients from the Mandaue City Isolation Unit (MCIU) located inside the Mandaue City Central School (MCCS).

According to lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, executive secretary of Mayor Jonas Cortes, this decision was reached because of the continued drop in COVID-19 cases in the city and because there were now only 20 recovering COVID-19 patients in the MCIU.

Ibañez said they would just wait until all patients in the facility would recover from the infection.

If that happens, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) will disinfect the school before turning it over to the Department of Education (DepEd) so that teachers can use it.

However, Ibañez said that if ever cases would rise again, that would be the time that the city will operate its two other isolation facilities which are the Mandaue City Isolation Center located at the former Cebu North Bus Terminal in Barangay Subangdaku and the Norkis Park quarantine facility in Barangay Looc.

The Mandaue City Isolation Unit (MCIU) located inside the Mandaue City Central School will continue to house the city’s COVID-19 patients. /Mary Rose Sagarino

“Simbako og musaka ato’ng cases, at least naa tay duha ka mga facilities pero sa pagkakarun mao tong giingon ni Mayor it is better to have and don’t need it than to need it and don’t have it, kung musaka gale mao na na ato’ng gamiton ang duha ka facilities, ” Ibañez said.

Each facility according to Ibañez, can accommodate 60 COVID-19 patients.

Moreover, the city has also started transferring some of the beds from the MCIU to the Norkis Park quarantine facility./rcg