treatment facility funded by lopez group to open tuesday dotr 01" />
MANILA - (UPDATE) The coronavirus disease treatment center inside Pier 15 at the Manila South Harbor will open on Tuesday to accommodate about 211 cubicles, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Monday.
The treatment center at the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal, which was funded by a P100 million donation from the Lopez Group, will have separate zones for mild, advanced and severe COVID-19 infections, the DOTr said in an advisory.
It has airtight doors to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it said.
The facility is meant to house returning overseas Filipino workers and seafarers, so they can serve their mandatory 14-day quarantine before returning to their homes.
The DOTr said it began retrofitting the terminal on April 13, with completion originally expected in 10 days. But with workers building the facility round-the-clock, it was finished earlier than expected.
Personnel from the Department of Health as well as the health and safety personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard will provide the necessary medical treatment on patients being brought to the facility, while the PPA will provide the additional personnel support if needed.
The facility will operate alongside 2 quarantine ships from 2GO, which were separately set up to accommodate repatriated seafarers and other OFWs.
Several public infrastructure were earlier converted to COVID-19 treatment facilities to ease congestion in major hospitals.
