Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary and isolation czar Mark Villar said the mega quarantine facility to serve the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) area is expected to be completed by mid-November 2020 in Calamba City, Laguna.
“The organized DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Local and National Health Facilities together with Regional Office 4A is currently fast tracking the conversion of the CALABARZON Regional Government Center into a COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) quarantine facility,” Villar said.
“The Calabarzon mega quarantine facility has 600 beds, 50 of which will be for healthcare workers and 550 for positive, mild, and asymptomatic patients,” the public works chief noted.
“Once operational, this isolation facility will prevent COVID-19 positive, mild, and asymptomatic patients from infecting others while in recovery.”
“Once operational, this isolation facility to be managed by the Calamba City local government unit jointly with the Department of Health and Office of Civil Defense would prevent COVID-19 positive, mild, and asymptomatic patients from infecting others while in recovery,” the public works head added.
As the designated chief of DPWH Task Force, Undersecretary Emil Sadain inspected the on-going construction of cubicles and nurse stations, air-conditioning of the facility, quarters for the healthcare workers, and toilet and shower rooms for the patients.
Also present at the project inspection were Task Force technical working members namely OIC Director Aristarco Doroy from the Bureau of Design, OIC Asst Director Edgardo Garces from the Bureau of Construction, and OIC Asst Regional Director Jovel Mendoza of Regional Office 4A.
In light of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, DPWH construction of quarantine facilities all over the country made up for the shortage of hospital beds.
“There are 695 Covid-19 facilities consisting of quarantine/isolation facilities and off-site dormitories with a total capacity of 24,707 beds being built by DPWH nationwide.”
In his latest report to Villar, Sadain said that there are 695 Covid-19 facilities consisting of quarantine/isolation facilities and off-site dormitories with a total capacity of 24,707 beds being built by DPWH nationwide.
Of the total, 357 facilities with 15,608 beds have been completed as of October 22 while others are expected to be finished soon.
The additional bed capacity for isolation and quarantine will be a big boost to the government’s effort in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.