The local government unit here will soon have an isolation center of its own with the ongoing construction of a facility adjacent to the Bulwagan ng Bayan.

Mayor Maria Angela Garcia said in an interview on Sunday that their temporary treatment monitoring facility is expected to be operational by the end of January next year.

The facility, she said, has a total of 40 air-conditioned rooms, 20 for those who are coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive and 20 for isolating suspected cases.

It has a separate triage for the safety of health workers.

The mayor said the facility built under a PHP20-million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines will be under accreditation by the Department of Health and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

“Hopefully, mas makakatulong ito sa mga nagpo-positive na kung hindi akma ang kanilang tahanan para sa isolation at quarantine ay mabigyan sila ng sapat na pasilidad dito (Hopefully, it will help those who turn out positive, so that if their home is not suitable for isolation and quarantine, they will be given adequate facilities here),” Garcia said.

She said that the facility is intended for mild and asymptomatic cases while the severe cases are treated in hospitals like the Bataan General Hospital.

The mayor said the Dinalupihan facility is in addition to other facilities in the province like the newly-inaugurated mega quarantine in Orani town and other facilities in the towns of Mariveles and Pilar.

Building their own quarantine facility means no more need to use public school classrooms, she said.

She said the average number of active Covid-19 cases the town had was seven with the highest recorded at 15.

Garcia said this means that the 40-room facility will be more than enough for the town.

“Katulad ng ginagawa natin sa lahat ng pasilidad sa buong lalawigan, kay governor at dito sa ating bayan, lahat ng i-aadmit dito ay walang babayaran. Ito ay in coordination with DOH at PhilHealth (As we do in all facilities throughout the province, from the governor and here in our town, everyone who is admitted here does not have to pay for anything. It is in coordination with DOH and PhilHealth,” she said. (PNA)