510 health workers of Tala Hospital under quarantine due to COVID-19

At least 510 health workers of Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium or Tala Hospital in Tala, Caloocan City are under home quarantine due to COVID-19, its hospital chief said Monday.

Tala Hospital medical director Dr. Alfonso Famaran, Jr. made the announcement a day after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 37,154 new COVID-19 cases for January 16, just slightly below the record-high 39,004 new COVID-19 cases recorded last January 15.

"We have 510 health workers under quarantine out of the 1,300 we have," Famaran said during the Laging Handa public briefing.

Famaran, however, said the DOH and the PNP General Hospital have sent them 229 additional health workers to augment the hospital's staff amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.

"We received augmentation for our health personnel and [so] our hospital operations remain unhampered," he added.

The Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital is a COVID-19 referral hospital and as such, prioritizes COVID-19 cases deemed severe or critical, or those with comorbidities, elderly whether or not with comorbidities, and high-risk pregnant women, as per DOH's guidelines.

Famaran said the hospital is currently treating 297 COVID-19 cases which occupies 53% of its COVID-19 bed capacity.

"It (getting infected with COVID-19) is really due to non-compliance of minimum public health standards. Mainly [lack of social distancing], and failing to wear face mask," Famaran pointed out.

"We really have to strictly follow the minimum public health standards," he added.

Given the situation, Famaran said that the shortened quarantine for fully vaccinated health workers infected with or exposed to COVID-19 from zero to five days is a welcome development.

"That shortened quarantine is a big help for us since it allows us to have our health workers at an earlier date," he added. —KG, GMA News