As coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases here continue to be recorded, the city government also continues to increase its isolation and quarantine facilities that it can even share to Benguet province.
As of October 27, Baguio has 583 active cases out of the 1,961 total Covid-19 cases recorded since March.
Engr. Bonifacio dela Peña, city administrator, during the Management Committee (Mancom) meeting on Wednesday, said the contractor will turn over a total of 111 Covid-19 isolation beds at the Baguio City Community Isolation center at the former Sto. Niño hospital on November 3.
He said this will bring to 551 the available isolation beds being managed by the city government.
The city currently uses the Sto. Niño and the Hernandez and Roxas halls at Teachers Camp as local government-managed isolation facilities.
This is aside from the isolation beds at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), Notre Dame de Chartres Hospital (NDCH), Saint Louis Hospital of the Sacred Heart (SLUHSH), Pines City Doctors Hospital (PCDH), and the Baguio Medical Center (BMC).
Once renovated, the five-storey Sto. Niño building, which was abandoned by its owners after the hospital stopped operation more than 10 years ago, will have a total of 300 beds but can be extended up to 450 beds.
“Our new cases and recoveries are almost of the same number and every day we worry that we will not be able to have a place for them that is why we are rushing our isolation facilities,” dela Peña said.
Dr. Rowena Galpo, city health officer, added that the Ferioni Apartment, which was allowed to be used initially as a quarantine facility, can also be converted as isolation facility that can accommodate 30 individuals.
The Eurotel below the city hall compound is also being eyed as an isolation facility that can accommodate 140 beds.
“The rental for both will be shouldered by the National Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF). They are now talking with Eurotel,” Mayor Benjamin Magalong said.
The city government will also have a 24-bed isolation facility where the central triage is at the Baguio Convention Center compound. Magalong said they also need “to help Benguet”.
“They are having a problem with the increasing cases which is catching up with us and they need isolation areas,” said Magalong, who is also the president of the BLISTT (Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay) governing council.
On October 26, Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas, during the provincial IATF meeting, said the new Covid-19 cases recorded in the two towns of Benguet — Tuba and Itogon — are having problems on where to bring infected patients considering the absence of isolation facilities.
Diclas said they are asking the Department of Education (DepEd) that owns Teachers Camp to lend a hall which Benguet can convert as their isolation facility. (PNA)
