CCQC to reopen next month as COVID-19 cases soar

CEBU, Philippines —   The Cebu City Quarantine Center is expected to re-open on February 1 as Covid-19 cases in the city continue to rise.

Currently, the CCQC is undergoing some repair work.

Over P600,000 had been set aside for the repair of the CCQC, mostly for roofing and other minor repairs inside the quarantine center after being partly damaged by the Typhoon Odette last December 16, 2021.

The CCQC can easily accommodate at least 200 asymptomatic and mild Covid-19 patients and may be expanded if needed.

Aside from the structural repairs, CCQC still has no electricity at the moment yet.

Cebu City Health Department officer-in-charge Dr.Jeffrey Ibones told The Freeman that Visayan Electric has promised to check the facility and hopefully re-energize the area soon.

“Hopefully tomorrow (today), ayuhon nas VECO didto kay problema pud nila didto kay ang suga. Hopefully, naa na pud silay light didto dayon,” said Ibones.

Former councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, who was managing the city’s former quarantine center at the South Road Properties, the NOAH Complex, will be taking charge of CCQC, this time under the City Health Department and no longer under the Cebu City Medical Center.

The CCMC had also been instructed to expand its Covid-19 isolation beds, utilizing the old CITOM building accordingly as the cases continue to rise.

Aside from the CCQC itself, the Department of Public Works and Highway(DPWH)-donated dormitory, also located in the vicinity of the CCQC, will be utilized as isolation for Covid-19 positive frontliners. It can accommodate over 30 frontliners.

Based on the Department of Health-7’s case bulletin on January 22, 2022, Cebu City has total active cases of 6,683, including 691 active cases.

The majority of the active cases, though, are asymptomatic or are just experiencing mild symptoms and are either undergoing home isolation, hotel quarantine or at the barangay isolation centers.

As such, Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival has passed a resolution urging the city government for the provision of medical kits to Covid-19 positives, especially those undergoing home isolation.

Archival, in the last council session, said those in home isolation should also be given equal importance. This was well received by the other city councilors as it is also done by other LGUs.

The medical kit will include the emergency hotlines, medicines, vitamins,  thermometer,  monitoring sheets, and an information manual regarding Covid-19 and guide to recovery. — Sanden J. Anadia, JMD (FREEMAN)