CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga — It’s final. The DOH decided that the Athletes’ Village at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, will be used as quarantine site by the 24 repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Wuhan, China who will arrive on Saturday.
The OFWs will undergo a mandatory quarantine for 14 days to ensure that they are not carriers of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) which originated from Wuhan.
The Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), in a statement, said the New Clark City, which was one of the venues of the 30th Southeast Asian Games was designed to be a resilient metropolis, and is ready for any and all situations, including those that concern public health.
“The facilities in the Athletes’ Village will provide the best conditions for our overseas workers returning from China. We are happy to host them and contribute to the efforts taken by the government to assist our kababayans,” the BCDA said.
A polyclinic operated by the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) is also located inside New Clark City, just two minutes away from the Athletes’ Village.
It is equipped with a 24-hour Emergency Room Facility, Primary Care and Sports Medicine, Imaging Center (X-ray and Ultrasound), Diagnostic Laboratory and Pharmacy.
New Clark City is also located just 30 minutes away from the Clark International Airport where the repatriated Filipinos will land from China.
In line with the announcement made by the Department of Health (DOH), New Clark City will be placed on lockdown starting Thursday, Feb. 6, until further notice.
“All preventive and precautionary measures are being put in place for our repatriated ‘kababayans’, as well as the entire area of New Clark City and its adjacent communities,” the BCDA said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Sports Commission has recommended the postponement of the 2020 ASEAN Para Games set to be held at the New Clark City on March 20-28 in view of the global nCoV threat.
But Capas Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan is objecting to this idea of bringing the repatriated OFWs from China to his town. In his February 7 statement from Germany, he said that “While it is true that I, as a Filipino, am in favor of the repatriation of OFWs from the province of Hubei, China, I feel perturbed by the fact that Department of Health (DOH) did not at all, in any way, involve the Capas LGU in its last-minute decision for New Clark City Capas to be used as quarantine zone for these Persons under Monitoring (PUMs). We acknowledge that the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has full jurisdiction over NCC, but I, as the Mayor of Capas, appeal in behalf of all Capaseños to our dear President Rodrigo Duterte and DOH Secretary Francisco Duque to consider another place or facility as isolation area.”/Marna Dagumboy Del Rosario (PNA) with report from Capas Information Office
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