By Joseph Almer Pedrajas
The local government of Navotas City is currently building additional facilities to isolate more coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients.
Irish Cubillan, chief of the city's public information office, on Friday said that they are currently preparing the Navotas Polytechnic College that will admit residents who will test positive for COVID-19.
Through this, the city's capacity to centrally quarantine patients from different parts of the city will be strengthened.
For now, Navotas has only one existing isolation center, which is at the Navotas High School.
"Our goal now is to admit all positive patients either at the central isolation facilities or at the Navotas City Hospital. For now, those who are still waiting for their results are being strictly monitored inside their homes, where they are under quarantine, by barangay officials," she added.
Mayor Toby Tiangco, in a recent TV interview, also bared that the city is already working on the building of a third isolation center as they prepare for the shifting of Metro Manila to general community quarantine (GCQ).
This action that is being taken by the city stemmed from Tiangco's concern that the number of COVID-19 cases might further increase due to the easing of quarantine guidelines, which will lead to a more number of people going outside their houses.
"Nakahanda na talaga kami for GCQ. So ano yung ginagawa namin Nagdagdag kami ng isolation facility because ine-expect namin na kung dadami ang tao, baka dumami yung cases (We're already ready for the shifting to GCQ. So are we doing? Currently, we are adding more isolation facilities because we are expecting that with the increase of people going outside their houses, or COVID-19 case will also increase)," he said.
"So dapat magdagdag ng isolation facililtiy so from one, now, on Monday, we're opening the second one. And we will start the third one (So, it's just right to add more isolation facilities. From one as of now, on Monday, we're opening the second one. And we will start the third one)," he added.
As of Friday, May 29, Navotas has already logged 177 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 53 recoveries and 29 deaths.