The municipal government here will soon open two satellite temporary treatment and monitoring facilities or isolation units in Buenlag Central School and Calasiao Central School.

In an interview on Thursday, municipal health officer Dr. Gemma Idos-Rodrigo said the two new temporary isolation units will house asymptomatic and mild coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the town.

“In line with the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, we wanted to avoid home quarantining as we deem that this might be another way of spreading the virus especially if the positive patient stays with his or her family members,” she said.

She added they also target to accommodate those individuals waiting to be swabbed to further arrest the spike in Covid-19 cases.

Rodrigo said the Buenlag Central School can accommodate 100 patients in its 25 classrooms, while Calasiao Central School offers its 13 rooms with a 52-bed capacity.

“The units are being prepared while the initial 25 oxygen tanks were already readied and more tanks are arriving in the coming days,” she said.

The facilities are now equipped with chairs, tables, beds, pillows, blankets, and electric fans for every room and other medical equipment through funding from the local government unit.

The isolation facilities will be managed by nurses and police will provide security, she added.

Rodrigo said the municipal government is hiring health care workers as part of the measures undertaken to address the increasing Covid-19 cases.

“We have to prepare for a possible increase of Covid-19 cases and infections in our municipality especially that the Delta variant has been declared to be more contagious,” Mayor Joseph Arman Bauzon said in a statement issued on Thursday.

He also assured that everything that is needed in the temporary quarantine facilities will be provided within this week.

As of Sept. 1, Calasiao recorded 809 recoveries out of the 1,190 confirmed cases with 303 active cases and 78 deaths. (PNA)