ANGELES CITY – Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. said the city has enough space to be used for isolation areas, advising COVID-19 patients to utilize them in order to prevent the rapid transmission of the virus among families in a household.
“The city still has enough space to accommodate them. Naiintindihan po natin ang kanilang mga pangangailangan kaya tinututukan natin silang mabuti,” Mayor Lazatin furthered.
On May 4, Lazatin released Memorandum No. 816, series of 2021, directing all private hospitals and medical professionals here to encourage COVID-19 patients to admit themselves to the designated quarantine facilities, such as the ones at Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC); volunteered hotel rooms with 306 bed slots; New Clark City National Government Administrative Center (NCC NGAC); and newly-assigned isolation facilities in Mexico and Lubao towns.
The memorandum further states that “Home quarantine is not allowed, except for special conditions and circumstances that will be determined by medical practitioners of RLMMC. It is the sole discretion of the city government, through the CHO, to release COVID-19 patients for home quarantine following assessment at the RLMMC.”
“These said facilities are being strictly monitored by medical health care professionals providing adequate and proper accommodations for COVID-19 patients in the city,” Lazatin said.
“We are also grateful to the Provincial Government of Pampanga, led by Governor Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda, for giving us ample space to house our patients in their quarantine facilities,” he added.
Moreover, all COVID-19 cases must be reported to the established hotline of the city – 0998-842-7746 (Smart) and 097-851-8581 (Globe), managed 24/7 by the Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (ACDRRMO), the memorandum says.
After this coordination, the ACDRRMO will communicate with the respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) of where the certain confirmed COVID-19 patient resides.
The BHERT will then coordinate with the patient for proper extraction, as well as with the medical personnel in RLMMC to inform them that a patient will be transferred and subjected for further assessment.
Once the patient has been assessed by the RLMMC, he/she will be taken to the designated isolation areas. All symptomatic patients will be housed at the RLMMC while those with mild symptoms and who are asymptomatic will be taken to the volunteered hotel facilities.
The ACDRRMO is officially responsible for the transportation of COVID-19 patients to the RLMMC for assessment and then transferring them to the quarantine facilities.
“Let us provide the best care for our kababayans who are currently facing the fear of COVID-19,” Lazatin mentioned