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Two Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)-managed quarantine facilities will be converted into isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients as major hospitals in Metro Manila and nearby provinces run out of capacity
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Facilities located at the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal in Pier 15, Manila and at Capinpin port in Orion, Bataan will be provided manpower and equipment to operate as isolation facilities
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The converted isolation facilities are targeted to be operational on April 9, 2021
Two quarantine facilities managed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will be converted into isolation facilities to accommodate and treat COVID-19 patients as major hospitals in Metro Manila and nearby provinces have run out of capacity.
Located at the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal in Pier 15, Manila and at Capinpin port in Orion, Bataan, both facilities were initially established as quarantine facilities last year through the donation made by the Lopez Group of Companies. They are currently managed by the maritime sector under DOTr.
READ: Pier 15 quarantine facility now open
In a statement, DOTr said the conversion addresses the urgent need for capacity of hospitals and other medical facilities amid the continuous rise of COVID-19 cases in the country, particularly in Metro Manila and nearby areas.
The Eva Macapagal Super Terminal has been converted into a COVID-19 treatment facility with the provision of the required medical equipment. It has a total of 211 cubicles distributed in different zones to accommodate mild, advanced, and severe COVID-19 cases. The facility is also equipped with hospital beds, portable toilets, cargo containers for showers, and open-air dining facilities.
The Capinpin port quarantine facility, meanwhile, was formally commissioned in October 2020 and initially intended to accommodate seafarers participating in crew change activities, returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), as well as non-OFWs.
It has a 124-bed capacity which includes 25 cubicles intended for high-risk individuals and separated by a fully equipped nurse station. Moreover, two rooms with 12 bunk beds each are likewise allotted for medical frontliners.
“We need to extend help to our healthcare facilities… As we open these isolation facilities in Pier 15 and Port Capinpin, rest assured that we will implement stringent protocols to ensure the safety of all patients,” PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago said.
The Task Group on Isolation/Quarantine facilities headed by National Task Force Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vivencio Dizon met with concerned agencies, including DOTr and PPA, and agreed that the Department of Health will provide the manpower and equipment needed to operate these isolation facilities. A series of inspections is also being conducted to determine the requirements for the conversion.
The Eva Macapagal Super Terminal and Capinpin port isolation facilities are targeted to be operational on April 9, 2021.
