Amid the country’s COVID-19 bed occupancy reaching the “danger zone,” additional quarantine facilities are under construction in Metro Manila, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Monday.
(MARK VILLAR FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
A total of 23 additional quarantine facilities for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are under way, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said, adding that these facilities are expected to be completed before the end of August.
"Our DPWH team is working on expediting the construction of isolation facilities that can accommodate patients with mild symptoms so that severe and critical cases can be prioritized in NCR (National Capital Region) hospitals," Villar said.
"Come August and we will have eight additional isolation and quarantine facilities in Quezon City; four in Pasay City; two in Pateros; and one each in Manila, Marikina City, Paranaque City, Makati City, Valenzuela City, Caloocan City, Muntinlupa City, Malabon City, and Navotas City with total bed capacity of 2,417," Villar added.
In Quezon City, the ongoing projects are the Tandang Sora Senior High School Quarantine Facility with a 270-bed capacity; Emilio Jacinto Senior High School in Pasong Tamo with a 427-bed capacity; a mobile facility at the Quezon City General Hospital with a 44-bed capacity; a mobile facility at the Quezon City University with a 64-bed capacity; a mobile facility at the House of Representatives with a 16 bed-capacity; and mobile facilities at the AFP Medical Hospital Compound, Quezon Institute Hospital Compound, and Camp Aguinaldo Hospital Compound with 48-bed capacity each.
In Pasay City, a 172-bed capacity mobile facility near WMall on Macapagal Ave.; 72-bed capacity quarantine site at Villamor Airbase; 70-bed cubicle facility at Pasay City Sports Complex with two nurse stations; and 276-bed facility at Folk Art Theater with five nurse stations are also under way.
Additional facilities will also be completed in Pateros, Metro Manila -- a two 64-bed facility with four health worker rooms at Ramos Pateros Elementary School and another unidentified site.
Quarantine facilities are likewise being built at the Manuel L. Quezon University in Manila; in Barangay Nangka, Marikina; at the Paranaque City College; in Makati City; at the Lingunan National High School Quadrangle in Valenzuela City; inside the Caloocan City North Medical Center compound; in Barangay Tunasan, Muntinlupa City; in Malabon; and Navotas City.