Fourteen patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from Quezon City were sent home after their test following the protocol of Department of Health.
According to GMA News report, there are 65 cases of COVID-19 in Quezon City as of March 23.
Quezon City spokesperson Pia Roces-Morato explained that they are just following the directives of DOH.
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The DOH Memorandum 2020-0108 states that “persons under investigation (PUIs) and positive COVID-19 patients who exhibit mild symptoms with no co-morbidities and non-elderly are advised to be sent home for strict self-isolation and close monitoring by local health authorities.”
“We are not only following protocol but we’re also looking into who needs to be addressed first kasi ‘di ba may mild symptoms, severe symptoms,” Morato said.
Four of those 14 patients belong to urban poor communities, including one who has a kidney disease needing dialysis twice a week.
Rolando Cruz, chief of the Quezon City epidemiology and surveillance unit, said they found out that the patients failed to practice social distancing upon checking them at home.
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“Nandoon sila with their families, wala man lang nakasuot ng face mask so that’s dangerous,” he said.
Cruz said they cannot have COVID-19 patients in urban poor communities that’s why seven of the COVID-19 patients were transferred to an alternative medical facility called HOPE 1 while the dialysis patient was admitted to a hospital.
Meanwhile, the local government of Quezon City said they already set up 100 isolation tents at the Quezon City Memorial Circle for the COVID-19 patients, PUIs and PUMs.
