MANILA, Philippines – The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) agreed to let the government use its Ciudad de Victoria estate as a quarantine area for possible and confirmed coronavirus patients, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Saturday, April 4.

The 75-hectare complex in Bocaue, Bulacan, includes the Philippine Arena, the Philippine Sports Stadium, and several other facilities that can house patients and medical staff.

“There will be facilities not just for patients but for our frontliners. Once everything is readied, the whole complex will have an estimated 1,065 rooms for patients, while frontliners will be able to share 476 suites good for 2 to 4 health workers each,” Nograles said, thanking INC Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo.

The government is preparing several large venues in and around Metro Manila to serve as national quarantine centers for its plan to transfer and isolate persons under investigation (PUI) and persons under monitoring (PUM) for the novel coronavirus by mid-April. (READ: LIST: National coronavirus centers)

A PUI is someone who has two or all of the following: 

• History of travel in the past 14 days to countries with local transmissions and risk of importation of the virus;
• History of exposure to a confirmed case;
• Symptoms of respiratory illness (cough and/or colds) and/or fever.

Meanwhile, a PUM is someone who has a history of travel to a virus-hit country or exposure to a coronavirus patient.

National Task Force COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr earlier said the stadiums and convention halls now being converted into quarantine areas will be ready by April 11.

The Department of Health has begun “massive testing” of PUIs and PUMs. With more cases confirmed, Galvez said the task force would be better able to identify other possible carriers of the virus through contact-tracing.

The goal is to isolate as many possible carriers of the virus as possible in order to arrest its spread, Galvez earlier said.

As of Saturday, the Philippines has recorded 3,094 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 144 deaths and 57 recoveries. – Rappler.com