(APR. 26) — In response to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and the full capacity of hospitals in Quezon City (QC), the Kamia Residence Hall started operating as a community isolation facility on Apr. 19. The student dorm will serve as a temporary isolation facility for mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and will be called Hope 7.

In mid-April, UP Diliman (UPD), with the assistance of the QC Health Department, Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Philippine Medical Association and the Department of Public Works and Highways, transformed the 98-room student dorm into the city’s seventh community caring facility, with a bed capacity of at least 180 and can accommodate as much as 250 as the other halls and large spaces in the dorm can still be utilized if needed.

The QC government named its caring or isolation facilities as “Hope.”

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, UPD Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Louise Jashil R. Sonido said PRC approached UPD and asked if an available building can be used as an isolation facility.  The University readily agreed to help.

“Maganda rin na dormitory instead na classrooms kasi mas akma ang dormitory. As an accommodation facility, mas handa ang [Kamia] in terms of layout, restrooms,” Sonido explained.

Sonido said health protocols and disinfection processes are also in place to protect patients and healthcare workers. She added that per PRC all the isolation facility personnel have been vaccinated prior to deployment to assure their safety.

QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said community caring facilities are the fastest way to “decongest our hospitals while also mitigating further spread in the barangays. Since asymptomatic or those with mild symptoms do not need extensive medical care, they can be admitted in these facilities until their full recovery.”

As of Apr. 12, QC has six community isolation facilities with a total bed capacity of 967 and bed occupancy of 481 or 49.74 percent.

As of press time, Kamia Isolation Facility has 66 admissions while Silungang Molave (SiM), has 16 admissions as of Apr. 22.  Since face-to-face classes are still not feasible in the succeeding months and the said dormitories will not be used, the UPD administration deemed it better to have them transformed into isolation facilities.

The Kamia Residence Hall has been in the University since 1958 and was recently renovated. The last time it was used as a dormitory was before the pandemic in March 2020.