Mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases who are unable to observe the home quarantine protocols set by the government will be transferred to isolation facilities under “Oplan Kalinga,” members of the task force announced on Tuesday.
“Ayaw na po nating mag-home quarantine ‘yung mga positive natin kung walang kapasidad ang kanilang bahay kaya ang gagawin natin, sa tulong po ng ating LGU at PNP ay susunduin sa bahay at dadalhin po natin ang positives sa ating COVID isolation facilities,” said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.
“Mas madaling gagaling [ang pasyente], 14 days lang na kayo ay naka-quarantine…Ito ang tamang paraan para sigurado na mabantayan natin at matalo natin ang COVID virus na ito,” he said during a press conference in Taguig City.
Año, also the vice chairman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), along with IATF Chairperson and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. and Deputy Chief Implementer Secretary Vince Dizon, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Danilo Lim, was hosted by Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano on Tuesday to check the process of the Drive-Thru Testing Center put up by the Taguig local government.
Isolation Czar and Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar earlier said that more quarantine facilities will be set up by the government for COVID-positive patients.
“Importante po na ma-isolate po iyong mga either naging COVID positive or iyong mga may sintomas…Ang target po namin in the next three weeks, magtatayo po kami ng additional 50 quarantine facilities. At we can expect na every [quarantine facility] ay malaki po ang madadagdag sa ating kapasidad para sa ating mga COVID patients. Kaya iyon po ang plano natin, at asahan ninyo po na walang tigil po ang aming pagtatayo ng quarantine facilities para ma-control natin ang pagkalat ng COVID-19,” Villar said.
According to Dizon, patients who are advised to undergo home quarantine are those who have access to their own bedroom and bathroom, and must not be in the same household with senior citizens, pregnant women, and those with comorbidities.
“Kung bagsak ka sa kahit isa sa tatlong iyon, hindi ka pwedeng mag home quarantine; dahil yun ang nagiging rason ng pagkalat ng COVID-19, kapag hindi mo na-i-isolate ang sarili mo sa loob ng iyong bahay at nahahawa mo ang iyong mga kasama sa bahay,” said Dizon.
“Dahil diyan at dahil sa tulong ng ating MMDA at ng ating mga mayors, magla-launch ang ating NTF at IATF ng Oplan Kalinga…Aalagaan po natin ang mga residente ng ating mga cities sa NCR,” he said.
Dizon said that earlier this week, over 50 patients from Navotas City were brought to the We Heal As One Centers in World Trade Center and Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, and the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
Patients in We Heal As One Centers are provided with 24/7 medical assistance, free meals and Internet connection.
Secretary Duque meanwhile said that a quarantine facility in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija will soon open and will have 550 isolation beds to accommodate COVID-positive overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Duque said the use of designated quarantine facilities will avoid congesting hospitals in Metro Manila.
“We have to navigate those patients towards those intermediate facilities with the end in view that you do not congest the higher-level facilities which are extremely important in so far as severe and critical cases are concerned,” he said.