The mayor of Mariveles, Bataan said lack of intensive care units (ICUs), in the province resulted in a modified enhanced community quarantine.

In the televised government briefing on July 17 (Saturday), Mayor Jocelyn Castañeda said the Mariveles Mental Wellness and General Hospital and Mariveles District Hospital could not admit severe Covid-19 cases.

“Kritikal po ang sitwasyon ng mga hospitals dahil po wala pong mga ICUs. Sa Mariveles alone ay walang ICU, kailangan pa naming dalhin sa Balanga o PGH (Philippine General Hospital) kung mga severe cases po ang sitwasyon ng pasyente,” Castañeda said.

(Hospitals are under critical condition because there are no ICUs. There is no ICU in Mariveles alone, we have to bring the patients to Balanga or PGH (Philippine General Hospital) if the cases are severe.)

She said the provincial government firmly implemented minimum health protocols to curb Covid-19 cases.

“Sa aming checkpoint, kung wala po silang ipapakita na negative result sa aming swab test ay hindi na po namin sila pinapapasok sa Bataan. At the same time pinag-iigting namin ang contact tracing,” the mayor said.

(In our checkpoints, we do not let the outsiders enter Bataan if they do not show their negative result of swab tests. At the same time, we intensified contact tracing). Hazel N. Camba