More isolation facilities are being constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways at the Davao International Airport for arriving passengers.
DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar A. Villar said he has instructed DPWH Undersecretary and Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Local and National Facilities Emil K. Sadain to put up more isolation facilities for passengers swabbed for coronavirus disease upon arrival at Davao airport and have to wait for test result.
In his inspection in Davao City, Undersecretary Sadain reported to Secretary Villar that construction of additional 400-bed isolation facility is on-going as the city government of Davao under Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio implement stringent control measures to ensure that air travelers will not transmit the dreaded virus in the city.
Without exceptions, health protocols are strictly being observed at the Davao International Airport and every flight passengers who have no 48-72 hour reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or swab test negative result from the time of departure at their point of origins to have the swab test upon arrival to Davao City to contain the spread of the deadly virus, said Undersecretary Sadain.
Secretary Villar as the isolation czar supports the control measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the Davao Region.
The DPWH Task Force and Regional Office 11 headed by Director Allan Borromeo has earlier put up in August 20 modified health facility tents with 400 beds at the new Davao Airport as temporary staying place of passengers including locally stranded individuals until swab results are released and isolation/testing facility with 200 beds located inside the old airport area.
Other on going healthcare facilities for Davao City are being rushed for completion this October.
These include the following: one isolation facility in Panacan with 40 beds capacity, and another dormitory facility for medical frontliners working inside Davao Southern Philippines Medical Center with 32 beds.