DAVAO CITY—A hotel-type quarantine facility was opened here recently to cater to Covid-19 patients who can afford to pay quarantine services but outside the government-mandated facilities for positive patients.
The city government would not disclose the name of the original hotel that was turned into a temporary treatment and monitoring facility (TTMF) but it said the hotel is intended for asymptomatic patients, or those with mild symptoms, “and who do not want to be admitted to a government facility but can afford to pay the cost of the quarantine services.”
City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday said this was the first such a facility being tendered for paying patients here.
“It means that those patients who do not want to go to our TTMFs [temporary treatment and monitoring facilities] for whatever reason, they have an option to go to this facility and pay for the quarantine,” she said in broadcast over Davao City Disaster Radio on Monday.
The hotel-type TTMF offers a package inclusive of 10 days quarantine in a room with a toilet, complete with meals and medical staff to monitor the patient. It currently has a capacity of 29 beds.
Duterte-Carpio said the city government decided to have a paid TTMF “due to encounters with patients who do not want to be quarantined in a facility chosen for them according to their health status.”
“The reason why we have a paid TTMF is because we have encountered patients who are picky. So now we already have a TTMF or facility if you are assigned by the doctor as a mild or asymptomatic patient and then you do not want to go to our TTMF, then they can opt for the hotel and pay,” she said.
As of December 29, the city government has a total of 2,194 beds in the isolation facilities for probable and suspect cases, along with the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities for Covid-19 positive cases. The facilities are a mixed setup of a hotel, public schools, gymnasiums, and other facilities converted into isolation areas.
Split the fines
Meanwhile, the barangays have turned over the proceeds of fines for violation of Ordinance 0301-20, or the Face Mask Ordinance. The barangays would remit only 60 percent of collected fines and penalties and to retain the 40 percent for their Covid-related initiatives.
The Face Mask Ordinance took effect into law on July 23 last year. It was amended by Ordinance 0416-20 to strengthen the enforcement of the ordinance at the barangay level.
In the amended ordinance, 60 percent of the collected fines and penalties will go to the barangay that apprehended the violator and 40 percent will go to the city government’s coffers.
“So that the public will comply and the enforcers will be encouraged to implement the ordinance especially in the barangay, we will give them a share. For every P500, 60 percent will go to the barangay and 40 percent will go to the local government collection,” said Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, author of the ordinance.
Dalodo-Ortiz said the barangays may opt to utilize their share of 60 percent for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for their functionaries.
City Treasurer’s Office in Charge Lawrence Bantiding said his office has prepared the documents for the handover of funds to the barangays.
The top 10 barangays with the most number of apprehension were Calinan Proper, Bago Aplaya, Angalan, Pampanga, Pangyan, Lacson, Sto. Nino, 76-A, Riverside and Lizada.
“For example, for Calinan Proper our total collection is 22,500 so the barangay share is 13,500,” Bantiding said.
The city government collected a total of P451,000 in fines and penalties from 902 violators of the ordinance between July and December last year. “They opted to make use of the no-contest provision of the ordinance wherein they pay P500 for the first offense at the City Treasurer’s Office,” he said.
Of the 902 apprehended, 170 were from the first district, 265 from the second district, and 467 from the third district.
1 comment
Hi can i ask for asymptomatic patients in davao city and how much does it cost per day if the patient will stay in hotel for quarantine…thank you