The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has donated lumber to build a coronavirus disease (Covid-19) isolation facility in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, an official said Wednesday.

Pilarito Montebon, head of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay, said the donation consisted of forfeited forest products that were confiscated in anti-illegal logging campaigns in the province.

Montebon said Tuesday’s donation to the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Hospital in Ipil town consisted of 68 pieces Bagtikan species with an equivalent volume of 376 board feet.

He said lumber will be used by the hospital in building new isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients.

The Department of Health (DOH) said Zamboanga Sibugay has 39 cases of Covid-19 as of August 18.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dennis Dacayanan, DOH-9’s Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU) head, has called on the local government units to activate more contact tracing teams in response to the continuous increase of Covid-19 cases in the region.

Dacayanan said the enlistment of more contact tracing team is vital “for us to immediately isolate Covid-19 patients in the community and this will prevent the rapid spread of the virus within our localities.” (PNA)