Abra town puts up municipal isolation unit

DANGLAS, Abra, Aug. 13(PIA) -- Mayor Denise Florence Bernos-Bragas  is grateful to the  national government for  the  assistance  especially the  Bayanihan Fund and the Social Amelioration Program that greatly  helped  the people in the province in this current health crisis.

Bragas during the Laging Handa Network Briefing today hosted by PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar, said they used a school as isolation facility during the earlier part of the COVID pandemic. But with the Bayanihan Grant to the Municipalities, they constructed their Municipal Isolation Unit (MIU).

Danglas is the first local government unit in Abra to have its own free MIU.

All returning locally stranded residents undergo rapid test and if they have negative results, they are brought to the MIU for the 14-day quarantine before they are allowed to go home if they are cleared.  Their need while on quarantine are provided by the LGU, she said.

Those who test positive for the COVID virus are brought to the Abra Provincial Hospital Isolation Unit. If they do not have other medical conditions, they are admitted at the Provincial Isolation Unit in Tayum, Abra.

Two patient transport vehicles of  the municipal task force are on stand-by to provide transportation to LSIs.

At present, Danglas has five COVID cases with four recoveries and one death. All are LSIs, the mayor said.

Bragas is appealing to LSIs planning to return to Danglas to wait until those currently at the MIU finish their 14 day mandatory quarantine to avoid crowding. But if it is not possible, she said she talked with the provincial government to accommodate them first at the Provincial Control Point.

A medical doctor by profession, Bragas also suggested to the Provincial Task Force on COVI-19 that at entry point of the province, LSIs should undergo the swab test, not the rapid test.  

“We are doing our part. This pandemic will be over soon. We pray. We follow all expected protocols expected of us dito po sa ground,” Bringas said. (JDP/CAGT-PIA CAR, Abra)

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)