VIGAN CITY, July 2 (PIA) -- Ilocos Region’s first community isolation unit situated in Barangay Balingaoan, Candon City, Ilocos Sur was inaugurated on June 29.

The P5 million-worth unit was funded through the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act 2 (Republic Act No. 11494).

It has four rooms for COVID-19 patients with up to 12-person maximum capacity.

Attending medical doctors and nurses are also provided with separate rooms.

The city government of Candon provided all the needed amenities for the six-door facility as a counterpart.

“This is one of the many pro-active interventions of the city government in combating the dreaded COVID-19,” Candon City Mayor Ericson Singson said in his message during the blessing and inauguration.

Singson lauded the Department of Health-Ilocos Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD I) for extending the much-needed assistance for the city to be one of the recipients of the project in the region.

“We constructed it the fastest because it is a much-needed infrastructure in this period of COVID-19 and part of our gesture of full appreciation to the project given to us,” he said.

Meanwhile, a city council resolution was passed and approved expressing profound appreciation to Gacusan siblings Victor, Honesto, and Benjamin for donating the 1,000 square meter lot as the project site.

DOH-CHD I Assistant Regional Director Dr. Mar Wynn Bello, Mayor Singson and Vice Mayor Kristelle Singson, spearheaded the inauguration and blessing of the unit.

Mayor Singson pointed out that the city government’s promptness to complete the project reflected a glimpse of its steadfast and uninterrupted efforts in battling the COVID-19 which continues to reap favorable results.

Based on the July 1 city COVID-19 update, Candon City has 297 overall confirmed cases so far which is about .46 percent of this year’s city projected population of 64,203 which is one of the lowest in percentage among all cities in the country.

It is also relatively low compared to the country’s current nationwide 1.2 percentage. (JCR/AMB/JMCQ/PIA Ilocos Sur with reports from LGU-Candon’s Public Information Office)