By Khriscielle Yalao
The Rizal Provincial Hospital System (RPHS) Antipolo Annex 1 and 2 will temporarily close their outpatient departments (OPDs) starting from Monday, Jan. 10 due to the increasing number of medical and non-medical frontliners contracting the COVID-19 virus.

Both announcements were made on their respective official Facebook pages on Friday, Jan. 7.
The RPHS Antipolo Annex 1 said that its OPD closure will last until Friday, Jan. 21.
However, RPHS Antipolo Annex 2 has yet to disclose when its OPD will reopen.
The RPHS Antipolo Annex 1 said its emergency room department (ERD) will remain open to cater to the medical needs of the people.
Residents are encouraged to utilize both hospitals’ online teleconsultation and telemedicine services while the OPDs are closed.
Out of 781 of the city’s frontliners, 227 medical personnel and 126 health workers have been infected with the COVID-19 virus, according to a post on her executive assistant’s official Facebook page on Sunday, Jan. 9.
Ynares urged residents to continue following the health and safety protocols, wear face masks, sanitize regularly, avoid crowded or enclosed public spaces, and get vaccinated.
If individuals are experiencing symptoms, Ynares maintained that isolating while waiting for medical intervention such as RT-PCR or antigen testing will help prevent the further spread of the disease.
The city of Antipolo has 396 active cases, with 100 new cases recorded on Saturday, Jan. 8. On the same day, the city also had 19,361 recoveries, and 480 deaths.
The province of Rizal was placed under Alert Level 3 from Wednesday, Jan. 5 to Saturday, Jan. 15 by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) amid the rise of COVID-19 cases nationwide.