Hotels tapped for quarantine, city hall employees’ quarters

QUEZON CITY , Philippines — A hotel in Quezon City will be used as an additional quarantine facility for patients under investigation for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Mayor Joy Belmonte did not disclose the name of the hotel, but said it would be ready to accept referrals from the three local hospitals in the city starting today.

The alternative medical facility, called HOPE 1, has 49 rooms that would complement local government hospitals as they prepare for the possible overloading of their facilities, Belmonte said.

There are three locally operated hospitals in the city – Quezon City General Hospital (QCGH), Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital and Novaliches District Hospital.

“HOPE 1 has 49 rooms to isolate and monitor identified persons under investigation and COVID-19 patients,” the city government said in a statement.

“These are individuals with symptoms associated with the virus, have a history of travel in countries with confirmed local transmission or of close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case,” it added.

QCGH director Josephine Sabando said HOPE 1 would augment the services being offered in hospitals that are already filled to capacity with concerned residents.

“It will greatly help in our daily hospital operations and will definitely aid in fighting COVID-19 as we are able to take in more patients,” she added.

Belmonte said additional temporary quarantine facilities in government buildings, schools and covered courts would be built to help ease the overloading in the different medical facilities.

She said barangays have also been directed to establish their respective isolation areas.

“The local government commits to ensuring the sanitation and disinfection of these public spaces to ensure the safety of the city’s constituents,” she added.

Belmonte said another hotel has offered 100 rooms for city government employees who will not be able to travel home during the enhanced community quarantine period.

The city government also set up modular partition tents at the city hall as temporary shelters for employees designated to report for work.