The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) turned over to the city government here on Tuesday a newly-improved quarantine facility for returning city residents.

The unoccupied houses at Salvacion Heights in the city’s northern village, transformed into quarantine center, are a partially completed housing project of the National Housing Authority.

OCD regional director Lord Byron Torrecarion said the facility is one of the 10 regional quarantine and isolation facilities funded for improvement by their office.

“With this, we can ensure that our returning residents will be captured in a quarantine facility and limit home isolation which triggers the increase of Covid-19 cases like what happened in Cebu,” Torrecarion said.

The OCD has set aside PHP27.4 million to build the facility and another PHP3 million for the construction of a 21-bed isolation facility at the DPWH-constructed evacuation center in the city’s Abucay District.

Torrecarion added that the facility in Salvacion village will function only as a quarantine facility for returning residents and will not house Covid-19 positive patients.

The quarantine center, built by DPWH can accommodate up to 290 individuals, but currently, only 50 units are ready for use. The facility has spaces for the accommodation of health workers and other front-liners.

The OCD also turned over to the city government 295 beds, 297 dining tables and chairs, 303 cabinets, 231 side tables, 251 electric fans, 17 air-conditioning units, two swab booths, 22 tents, 10 portable toilets, and 316 foam mattresses, linens, and pillows for the quarantine facility.

To secure the area, personnel from the city police office will be assigned in the area.

The basic necessities and food of those who will be quarantined in the facility will be provided by the city government, said city administrator Aldrin Quebec.

“We can now say that we are prepared if there is a spike of Covid-19 cases. These facilities turned over by the DPWH and OCD will help us manage the situation once it gets worse,” Quebec said.

Before Salvacion Heights, Tacloban has six existing quarantine and isolation facilities situated in Abucay and Cabalawan village and three hotels.

These facilities can accommodate around 500 returning residents with 50 units intended for Covid-19 infected persons. (PNA)