COVID VIGILANCE. A nurse in her protective gear (left) extracts a sample from a suspected Covid-19 patient inside an inn that was temporarily converted into an isolation facility in Cagayan de Oro City in 2021. Mayor Rolando Uy on Thursday (July 21, 2022) says he will retain such setup as Covid-19 cases in the city have reached double digits anew. (Contributed photo)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The city government will retain the temporary isolation facilities in hotels and inns here as a precaution against the resurgence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.
In a radio interview Thursday, Mayor Rolando Uy said the decision was based on the advice of the City Health Office (CHO), as cases rise and the public can move freely because of lowered health alert restrictions in the city.
“They (CHO officials) also told me that the spike is caused, among other factors, by increased travel of city residents outside the city and that they are monitoring the situation,” he said in vernacular, adding that the cases remain manageable.
Last year, some hotels and inns were temporarily converted into isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients and a quarantine area for those who were awaiting their RT-PCR tests.
The conversion scheme also benefited hotel owners as the city government subsidized some operating expenses.
As of July 20, the CHO recorded 11 new cases, with active cases totaling 64.
Meanwhile, Uy reminded the public to secure their complete vaccination, including the first booster shot for their protection from the virus.
As of July 15, the city recorded a total of 1,354,276 vaccinated individuals.
Inoculation of the first dose has the highest figure with 618,110 individuals.
The second “booster” shot, or the fourth dosage that was first offered to senior citizens, health workers, and immunocompromised individuals, are still at 6,394. (PNA)
