Cebu City trims down BICs, cluster clinics

CEBU, Philippines —  The Barangay Isolation Centers (BIC) and cluster clinics in Cebu City have now been trimmed down, with the active COVID-19 cases regularly decreasing.

From 52 schools used as BICs, there are just four left, two each from the North and South Districts.

Based on the Department of Health Central Visayas Center for Health Development’s August 29 data, Cebu City only has 618 active cases left, 235 of which are in the hospital and 383 in isolation.

For the North District cluster, the City Central and Zapatera Elementary Schools will be used, while the South district will have the Mambaling and the Vicente Rama Memorial National High School.

IATF Emergency Operations Center’s Deputy Chief implementer and city councilor Joel Garganera said they are planning to even just maintain one each per district, once the cases go down further.

Aside from the BICs, the NOAH Complex is still accommodating asymptomatic COVID-19 patients as well, while the Bayanihan Field Centers at the Sacred Heath School for Boys and the EIC are still also in operation, although a total of only 21 beds are occupied in both facilities.

Two unnamed schools are also being reserved for locally stranded individuals who do not have a suitable place at home for isolation nor a budget to book for a hotel or an apartment for 14 days.

The Cebu City Quarantine Center, on the other hand, has been converted into a hospital level facility.

On the other hand, City Health Department’s officer-in-charge, Dr. Jeffrey Ibones, also told The FREEMAN that aside from the BICs, they have also trimmed down the cluster clinics from four to only two, one in the South and North District.

For the North District, it's the Cebu Medical Society in Banilad. The South District will have the Cebu City Sports Institute under San Nicolas Proper. — GAN (FREEMAN)