Anticipating A Spike In COVID-19, Ambon City Government Prepares A Centralized Quarantine Place

Illustration/Photo: PIXABAY

AMBON - The City Government of Ambon, Maluku has prepared a centralized quarantine place to anticipate a surge in confirmed COVID-19 patients in the area.

"Anticipating the surge in COVID-19 cases, we have prepared a centralized quarantine center at the Haji Waiheru Dormitory", said Head of the Ambon City Health Office, Wendy Pelupessy, in Ambon, Monday, February 7.

He said that in a centralized quarantine area, 145 beds were prepared to accommodate confirmed COVID-19 patients with criteria for mild symptoms.

"Starting today, we will serve patients in the quarantine center of the Hajj dormitory, one room will be occupied by four patients from the total available beds of 380 (beds)", he said.

The quarantine center, he said, accepts patients with criteria for mild symptoms and patients without symptoms but with comorbidities or the elderly.

He said patients with moderate and severe symptoms would be referred to the hospital.

The high number of cases in Ambon has forced the local municipal government to prepare a centralized quarantine area.

Currently, most of the confirmed COVID-19 patients are self-isolating at home because they are asymptomatic.

"We are grateful that our vaccination achievement has reached its maximum, imagine if the vaccination achievement is still below 70 percent, maybe most of the patients are symptomatic and are not accommodated in the hospital", he said.

The Ambon City Government since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has enabled several centralized quarantine locations, namely the Wijaya Hotel, Everbright, Sumber Asia, and the Agricultural Training Center.

This centralized quarantine area will assist three emergency hospitals handled by the Maluku Provincial Government.

Patients at the quarantine center will be monitored by a team of doctors from the Maluku Province COVID-19 referral hospital, namely Dr. Haulussy Hospital, Leimena Hospital, as well as a team of doctors from several health centers in Ambon City.