Caloocan hospital closed for a week after staff tests positive for COVID-19 —Mayor Malapitan

The Caloocan City Medical Center - South (CCMC), including its emergency room, will be closed for a week after some of its staff tested positive for COVID-19, Mayor Oscar Malapitan said on Friday.

In a Facebook post, Malapitan said the nurses and medical technologists who got infected with COVID-19 are already placed in quarantine. Contact tracing is also being done to determine who had direct contact with the patients, the mayor added.

Malapitan said the hospital would be closed beginning 12 noon of July 17 until 12 noon of July 23 for decontamination.

"Bagamat pansamantalang sarado, patuloy natin bibigyan ng kinakailangang atensyong-medikal ang mga pasyenteng naka-admit na. Gayundin, patuloy na magbibigay-serbisyo ang ating Out-Patient Department na matatagpuan sa Old City Hall Plaza at ang Caloocan City North Medical Center (CCNMC) na mananatiling bukas sa ating mga mamamayan," Malapitan said.

Malapitan also disclosed that the CCMC has reached its overflowing capacity for COVID-19 cases. He urged his constituents to bring positive or suspected cases to other hospitals so that they could immediately get medical treatment.

"Tayo ay patuloy na humihingi ng pang-unawa sa ating mga mamamayan. Patuloy natin ipagdasal ang ating mga medical staff at iba pang tinamaan ng sakit na ito," Malapitan said.

"Umasa kayo na ginagawa natin ang lahat upang mabuksan muli ang CCMC sa lalong madaling panahon nang sa gayon ay muli tayong makapagbigay ng ligtas at maayos na serbisyong medikal sa mga taga-Caloocan," he added.

So far, Caloocan City has 1,611 confirmed cases, with 952 recoveries and 88 deaths.—AOL, GMA News