DOH ok’s 2 city Covid treatment sites upgrade

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY - The Department   of Health Cordillera approved upgrading of two temporary Covid-19 facilities to expand its isolation units and address rising cases here.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong and City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said the city received on  August 14 the licenses for the Teachers' Camp to operate as a community isolation unit with a 90-bed capacity and for the Baguio City Community Isolation Unit at Sto. Niño Jesus Medical Center to expand its bed capacity from 45 to 90.

Before its upgrading, Teachers' Camp located along Leonard Wood Road served solely as quarantine facility for returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from city and the provinces of Benguet and Mountain   Province. Now, it will remain as OFW quarantine site while at the same time serve as isolation unit to manage COVID-19 positive patients.

 The BCCIU at Sto.Niño at P. Burgos barangay, the city's first community isolation unit, initially catered to suspected cases and later COVID-19 positive patients with mild conditions.

The certificates signed by DOH-CAR Regional Director Ruby Constantino said  the converted facilities were "generally compliant to the DOH guidelines and other pertinent issuances related to the operation of Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility Community Isolation Unit." The authorizations are valid from August 12 to December 31, 2020.