The city government here will reactivate patient care centers as part of the proactive measures in preparation for a possible surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases amid the rise of infections in the National Capital Region and the threat of the Omicron variant.
Mayor Michael Rama said in a statement on Thursday that he issued a directive to reopen the centers to serve as facilities for the treatment and monitoring of residents who will test positive for the virus.
Rama said the decision to revive the isolation and quarantine facilities came after the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) reported an increase in new infections in the city.
“We have to be prepared to accommodate at least 3,000 in our isolation facilities,” he said, adding that he has directed officials of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) to convert the old makeshift hospital into an isolation facility.
The makeshift hospital housed in the old City Traffic Operations and Management building can accommodate up to 80 patients.
The other patient care centers here are the NOAH Complex at the South Road Properties, Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC) at the North Reclamation Area, and the St. Vincent Hospital.
The city is also reactivating the barangay isolation centers in Zapatera village and the Cebu City Central School in the midtown area.
Rama met with city officials and health experts on Wednesday afternoon and discussed the likelihood of reimposing stricter restrictions amid the threat of the Omicron variant.
There is no confirmed case yet in Cebu and in the region as the Department of Health (DOH) 7 (Central Visayas) has yet to submit specimens to the Philippine Genome Center for sequencing.
Rama, however, said Wednesday the city has been placed under a state of preparedness for the highly transmissible variant of Covid-19.
The DOH-7 bulletin on January 5 showed the city has 159 active cases, up from 85 on the last day of 2021.
CCMC consultant Dr. Ma. Bernardita Chua urged Cebuanos to be more vigilant against Covid-19, especially the new variant.
“We should be scared of this Omicron variant because of its high transmissibility. We should also be worried about how to isolate those who will test positive for that variant,” Chua said in Cebuano.
Source: Philippines News Agency
