Asymptomatic, mild COVID-19 cases to stay in isolation facilities –Duque

After the country recorded the highest number of fresh COVID-19 cases, the Department of Health (DOH) advised on Monday that mild, asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, as well as close contacts of infected patients, must be placed in temporary isolation facilities.

"Halimbawa ang ating mga close contacts, asymptomatics and mild cases ay dapat nasa temporary treatment and monitoring facilities. Kung tatawagin TTMFs," said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte and Cabinet officials.

Hospital COVID-19 beds and wards would meanwhile be used for moderate and critical cases, Duque added.

The Health Secretary explained that confining asymptomatic and mild patients in temporary facilities will help reduce the pressure on COVID-19 treatment in hospitals.

"Mga asymptomatic at mild patients  mailagay sa temporary facilities upang hindi mabilaukan ang ating mga ospital. Kung ikaw ay nagpositibo at asymptomatic o nakakaramdaman naman ng mild symptoms, pumunta sa TTMF at iwasang dumeretso sa ospital," he said.

(All asymptomatic and mild patients must be placed in temporary facilities so that it won't burden our hospitals. If you are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, go to TTMF and avoid going to hospitals.)

However, Duque also said local government units may choose to implement home quarantine if all family members are infected with the respiratory disease.

"Pwede rin pagpilian ng ating mga LGUs ang home quarantine partikular na sa pamilya na lahat ay close contacts o kumpirmadong kaso na pasok sa criteria na home quarantine," the health chief said.

Earlier, 24 hospitals in Metro Manila already reported that their COVID-19 intensive care units are at full capacity as the Philippines reported more than 7,000 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday last week.

The OCTA Research group had also projected that hospitals in the National Capital Region would reach full capacity in the first week of April due to the surging  COVID-19 cases. — DVM, GMA News