Mark Villar: NCR’s COVID-19 quarantine facilities 50% full

Half of the beds in Metro Manila’s quarantine facilities for COVID-19 cases have been occupied amid a fresh surge in infections, isolation czar Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said Friday.

“Sa ngayon po sa NCR, medyo mataas lang ‘yung usage ng mga quarantine facilities natin at 50% pero sa ibang lugar hindi pa masyadong mataas. Ang national average natin is about 16%,” Villar said in a briefing.

(Currently in NCR, the usage of our quarantine facilities is quite high at 50% but in other areas it’s not that high. The national average is about 16%.)

Villar vowed the government will continue to increase the capacity of COVID-19 quarantine facilities.

The 602 facilities established so far have a total bed capacity of 22,352.

“By next month, the target is for us to have 720 facilities with 26,099 beds,” Villar said.

He added that a pop-up hospital for severe COVID-19 cases at the Quezon Institute will soon become operational.

“We will continue to plan for more facilities as the need arises,” Villar said.

Treatment czar Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega earlier reported that 64% of the intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients in Metro Manila have been occupied. 

He said Manila, Quezon City, Taguig, and Makati are already in the high-risk category with over 70% COVID-19 bed occupancy.

Despite this, Vega claimed that the country is “much more prepared” in dealing with a surge in cases.

“We have improved our capacity. We are ready whatever happens for this COVID crisis,” he said.

The Philippines has 66,567 active COVID-19 cases as of Thursday afternoon, the highest recorded this year. — RSJ, GMA News