Galvez: Philippines eyes quarantine facilities expansion for isolation, critical care of COVID-19 cases

More quarantine facilities will be established for COVID-19 patients in preparation for a possible surge of cases, National Task Force (NTF) COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Monday.

In a public briefing, Galvez said a referral system among hospitals was already created to prevent the underutilization of these quarantine facilities which was previously a challenge for authorities.

“Itong mga temporary quarantine facilities ay underutilized. Sa ngayon po maganda ang utilization po natin ngayon, more or less 80 percent,” he said.

“Talagang ang papalakasin po namin, we will create some facilities na at least po na tataas ang ating ICU beds at mga isolation facilities so that we can cope in case na magka-surge,” he added.

According to him, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has 68 facilities and the Department of Health (DOH) has 168 evacuation centers.

At press conference on Monday, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said local government units (LGUs) already committed that some of their cases will be transferred to these facilities.

Vergeire added the transfer of mild and asymptomatic cases under Oplan Kalinga already started in Navotas.

“Nagkaroon na ng arrangement ang local governments natin with our National Task Force (NTF) and those were encouraged na lilipat doon sa temporary quarantine facilities,” she said.

Vergeire said that testing czar Vince Dizon reported on Saturday that six hotels were picked as new quarantine facilities.

“Pinag-usapan itong mga additional quarantine facilities para mai-admit natin 'yung mga mild at asymptomatic. Nakakuha na sila ng hotels,” she said.

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the NTF have intensified Oplan Kalinga, which escorts COVID-19 patients from their houses to government isolation facilities. — RSJ, GMA News

DIzon earlier said that Oplan Kalinga will be aggressively implemented, as they attributed the recent increases in COVID-19 cases to community transmission due to home quarantine.