Marikina, Mandaluyong put up reverse isolation facilities for COVID-19-negative patients

The cities of Marikina and Mandaluyong established quarantine centers for patients negative for the coronavirus disease while infected patients isolate at home to prevent transmission of the virus.

According to Rida Reyes' 24 Oras report, Marikina government decided to convert eight evacuation centers to reverse isolation centers for negative COVID-19 patients to allow mild and asymptomatic cases to get adequate medical care in their homes.

"Yung mga positive du'n, sa bahay nagpapagaling, lalo na kung asymptomatic. Tapos they could receive 'yung appropriate medical care, mas mabilis silang gumaling e. Siguro dahil du'n sa comfort ng bahay nila di ba?" Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said over 24 Oras.

(Positive cases will be cured at home, especially if they are asymptomatic. They could receive appropriate medical care because of the comfort of their houses.)

"Magkakasama sila ro'n so may support system sila. Secondly, 'yung negative, mas madaling ihanap ng matitirhan o matutulugan dahil wala masyadong malaking requirement in terms of medical care," he added.

(They will be there at home since they have a support system. Also, negative patients will be easier to isolate because there will be less space requirement for their medical care.)

Teodoro explained that negative patients will be under quarantine until their family members recover from the disease.

With this initiative, Marikina's active cases dropped from 2,800 in March to 1,100 in April.

In Mandaluyong City, Mayor Menchie Abalos also said some villages in their locality adopted the reverse isolation scheme, wherein negative patients will be isolated from their family members who were sickened with the respiratory ailment.

"That's why yung ibang barangay namin ginagawang reverse isolation yung mga negative nasa labas habang yung positive nasa bahay," Abalos said.

Mandaluyong, which has 1,640 active cases, also set up modular tents to become isolation facilities.—Consuelo Marquez/LDF, GMA News