Home isolation now preferred — Cebu City EOC

Transfer of COVID-19 patients from Alaska, Mambaling to the isolation center in this May 2020 courtesy of the Cebu City PIO.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Homes isolation is now preferred in Cebu City for positive cases of COVID-19 with mild and manageable symptoms.

Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementor of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said that Mayor Michael Rama will soon be releasing a directive on the guidelines for home isolation and the qualifications for such.

The EOC said that because of Typhoon Odette, many isolation centers and Temporary Transfer and Monitoring Facilities (TTMF) were damaged, prompting a “paradigm shift” in handling the COVID-19 situation.

Currently, there are two operating barangay isolation centers (BICs) in the City Central Schoola and Barangay Zapatera, both already have electricity and a steady supply of water.

Labangon, Guadalupe, and Mabolo BICs are being prepared as of this time as cases continue to rise, but these centers are not yet completely ready to accept patients.

“Naa tay mga challenges kay nadaot ilang mga atop, kung mag-ulan magtulo. For the TTMFs, daghang hotels ang wala pay kuryente ug tubig pud,” said Garganera in a phone interview.

Garganera notes that there is an increased number of Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs), either workers or travelers, that have proved positive to the COVID-19 as well, filling up the hotel TTMFs.

All these challenges have prompted the city to look into allowing home isolation as the primary option for those who prove positive to the virus as long as their homes, units, and quarters qualify.

The most immediate requirement is that the isolation quarters for the patient inside the residence must be separate from the rest of the house. A room with a bathroom is much preferred.

The patient cannot leave the room until the isolation period is over and the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT) will be tasked to monitor the patients within the barangays.

“Gikan na gud tag bagyo, daghan pag adjustments. If their particular units (residence) nga mo qualify, dapat naa moy support group dinha nga maoy momake sure nga madeliver ang needs sa patient.”

“Home isolation, let us do this together. It’s okay na, as long as dili siya mogawas. As long as cooperative, there is nothing to fear. This is the paradigm shift kay lisod man atong kahimtang, daghan kaayong unserviceable nga facilities,” said the councilor.

Garganera notes that there is also an increase of health care professionals who were tested positive to the virus, which is another reason why the hospitals cannot be overwhelmed or else the city will be placed in crisis again.

Vaccinated individuals who prove positive to the virus with mild and manageable symptoms must manage their own symptoms by taking the medicine, isolating, and getting enough rest.

Unvaccinated individuals must consult with a doctor before going to the hospitals so that their doctors can advise them if it is necessary for them to be admitted.

“Learn to manage your own symptoms. You should have the number of your doctor for easier consultation,” said the councilor.

Currently, Cebu City has 564 active cases of COVID-19 with 137 new cases recorded on January 11, 2022, with a daily positivity rate of 26 percent.

Yet the EOC is still not concerned because no deaths have been recorded and the hospitals are not filling up as like previous surges.

“Cases like this is very normal to EOC, we can weather this but as long nga kita magkahiusa pagtuman sa mga protocol, dili ug dili gyud ta mo kumpyansa. There’s no reason for us to panic,” said the councilor.

/bmjo

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