According to INQUIRER.NET, more than 1,000 public schools in the country are being used as quarantine facilities in a bid to help lower the number of COVID-19 cases, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Tuesday. Alain Pascua, education undersecretary, said the classrooms and other facilities — such as gyms — of 1,212 public schools were retrofitted to serve as isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients.
According to The Manila Times, starting on April 14, The Manila Times’ school in Subic that was converted into a temporary treatment facility for persons infected with Covid-19 will accept patients.
The government will formally launch on April 14 the 300-bed capacity mega quarantine center, which was built at The Manila Times College (TMTC)-Subic campus.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., testing czar Vivencio Dizon, isolation czar Mark Villar and treatment czar Leopoldo Vega will lead the inauguration of temporary treatment and monitoring facility (TTMF).
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The event will also be attended by Office of Civil Defense Administrator Ricardo Jalad, Subic Mayor Jonathan John Khonghun, Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr., Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma, and TMTC President and Chief Executive Officer Dante Francis Ang 2nd.
The Manila Times mentions, this comes as hospitals around the country are running out of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for critical Covid-19 patients amid the surge in infections.
In a briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte on April 12, Galvez said based on their projection, at least 2 percent of all active cases are critical and the government needs to provide 600 additional ICU beds in Metro Manila.
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