The Philippine Red Cross and mayors of coronavirus hot spot Metro Manila will be turning some schools into temporary isolation centers for asymptomatic cases while face-to-face classes are still banned. 

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Red Cross, tweeted on Tuesday, April 6, that the pilot isolation facilities will be opened at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City on Thursday, April 8.

Thirty-two classrooms at Ateneo’s high school campus will be turned into isolation wards for COVID-19 patients.

The Kamia Residence Hall at the University of the Philippines Diliman, also in Quezon City, will be turned into a temporary isolation center as well.

“Habang wala pang face-to-face classes, gagamitin natin ang mga eskuwela sa Metro Manila para pagdalhan ng mga asymptomatic spreaders, upang ligtas ang kanilang pamilya at tuluyang mapawi ang pagkalat ng COVID-19,” said Gordon.

(While there are still no face-to-face classes, we will be using schools in Metro Manila to isolate asymptomatic spreaders, to keep their family safe and to stop the spread of COVID-19.)

He said the Red Cross finalized the plan with Metro Manila mayors and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos during their meeting last Friday, April 2.

The Quezon City government confirmed to Rappler that they are part of the initiative.

The temporary isolation centers are seen to help decongest hospitals in “NCR Plus” – composed of Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite – which are now over capacity due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

Social media feeds have been filled with posts of people scrambling to look for a hospital bed for their sick friends or loved ones.

Due to the unprecedented spike in cases, President Rodrigo Duterte placed the “NCR Plus” bubble under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for the second straight week. ECQ is the strictest form of lockdown in the Philippines.

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According to Gordon, each isolation ward can accommodate up to 6 patients, who will be monitored by nurses and other health personnel. The Red Cross will be providing showers and portable toilets for the patients if needed. Separate staff will also take care of the patients’ garbage disposal. 

Gordon said the Red Cross has so far received 2,000 mattresses, which will then be distributed to all the isolation centers they plan to open in Metro Manila schools.

A telemedicine system will also be set up with help from the Philippine Medical Association and the Philippine Nurses Association to properly monitor the health status of the patients to be isolated.

On Monday, April 5, the Philippines logged 8,355 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country’s total to 803,398. Of the total cases, 17.9% or 143,726 are active or currently sick. – with reports from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com