Rising infections prompted local officials in Laoag City to convert another evacuation center in Barangay Cabungaan as additional isolation rooms for mild and asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Laoag Mayor Michael Keon said that the COVID-19 situation is getting out of hand and the city government is doing its best to isolate the infected residents.
“Everything has to be fixed and we will use the evacuation center as a temporary isolation facility for COVID-19 patients,” Keon said, after the opening of the temporary isolation facility which can accommodate at least 18 persons.
“The three existing isolation facilities are located at the City Library, the ABC Hall, and an evacuation center.”
The mayor added that the three existing isolation facilities here that are located at the City Library, the ABC Hall, and an evacuation center are almost full with the surge of infections.
As of April 14, the City Health Office reported 19 new cases as a result of massive contact tracing and swabbing of persons who have been in close contact with the previously infected patients.
As such, a total of 59 COVID-19 active cases here have been recorded since the pandemic started.
The city government has hired three additional nurses to be assigned at the new isolation facility in Cabungaan.
“The city government is planning to avail of a loan for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.”
Due to the current COVID-19 situation, he said the city government is planning to avail of a loan for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.
“We have no money for the purchase of (more) vaccines. As much as possible, I don’t want the city to have a loan under my administration but I have no choice. We must vaccinate (more people) as much as we can,” Keon said, citing the city government has been dependent on the vaccination rollout of the Department of Health since it started vaccinating health workers here last month.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) recently turned over a total of 60 additional isolation rooms to the provincial government to accommodate mild or asymptomatic patients.
The DPWH augmented the province’s isolation capacity amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in various parts of the province.