The City Government of Navotas Tuesday opened a community isolation facility (CIF) for mild cases of the coronavirus disease 2019.
Navotas converted the new four-story building of Navotas National High School into a CIF with 100 bed capacity.
The first floor is intended for pregnant or lactating mothers who are suspect or probable cases; the second and third floors are for other suspect or probable COVID-19 patients; and the fourth floor is exclusive for positive cases with mild symptoms.
Patients with severe symptoms are treated at the Navotas City Hospital. Critical patients, on the other hand, are referred to designated COVID-19 hospitals.
“The community isolation facility helps prevent further transmission of the virus. It reduces the risk of COVID-19 patients infecting their families or neighbors,” Mayor Toby Tiangco said.
“Each room has television and NavoConnect wifi to provide entertainment to our patients. We want them to be as comfortable as possible and given the best care we can provide,” he noted.
“We also installed CCTV cameras for easy monitoring of the patients. Our medical staff do not have to check on them constantly. This helps minimize the risk to our staff and provide privacy to the patients,” he added.
Meanwhile, Congressman John Rey Tiangco cautioned the public that life may not return to normal unless a vaccine against COVID-19 is made available.
“There is no return to our previous way of life. Even after May 15, we will still have to follow physical/social distancing and other precautions to avoid contracting the disease. This will be our ‘new normal.’ We will remain like this until a COVID-19 vaccine has been made available to the public,” he said in his speech during the opening ceremony.
Also present in the event were Dr. Corazon Flores, Regional Director of the Department of Health-National Capital Region; Vice Mayor Clint Geronimo; councilors; barangays chairpersons; department heads; doctors, nurses and staff of the Navotas City Health Office; and barangay health workers assigned at the CIF.