CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The city’s 35 villages have set up their own isolation units in a bid to strengthen measures against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Dr. Renely Tungol, officer-in-charge of the City Health Office and Incident Commander of the Incident Management Team, said barangay isolation units (BIUs) were put up as part of the city’s prevention and mitigation efforts against the health crisis.
Tungol said BIUs will serve as temporary isolation facilities and will help in ensuring that the Covid-19 Kalingang Fernandino isolation facility is not overwhelmed by the huge number of patients.
“We will make use of them (referring to the BIUs) para sa mga (for the) locally stranded individuals (LSIs) coming from outside Pampanga or those areas with high numbers of Covid-19, and they were classified as suspect or probable cases who have no symptoms. For 14 days, they will stay at the BIUs where they will be monitored,” she said in an interview.
She said the BIUs will be on operation for 24 hours and have to comply with health and safety protocols set by the Department of Health (DOH) and the local government unit.
“May mga particular na alituntunin tayong ibinigay para sa mga BIUs (there are particular regulations we have given for the BIUs), together with the monitoring. May monitoring sila (they have monitoring) twice a day to ensure the health and safety of those individuals at the isolation units,” she added.
Tungol said that in case those individuals being monitored at the BIUs showed signs and symptoms of coronavirus, they will be transferred to the Covid-19 Kalingang Fernandino isolation facility for immediate response.
The Covid-19 Kalingang Fernandino isolation facility, which was the first DOH-certified community isolation unit/temporary treatment and monitoring facility for Covid-19 cases in Central Luzon, has a 160-bed capacity.
“Kami ay nagpapasalamat dahil lahat ng ating mga barangay ay nag-put up ng barangay isolation units (we are thankful that all our villages have put up their barangay isolation units),” she said.
The city government of San Fernando has been expanding its isolation units and facility to accommodate a greater number of Covid-19 patients here.
Mayor Edwin Santiago earlier said the expansion of isolation facilities plays a key role in containing the virus.
As of Oct. 17, the city reported six new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number to 536 with 69 active cases.
Fourteen more patients have recovered from the disease, thus the total number of reported recoveries is now 448.
The death toll remains at 19. (PNA)
