BY NICK GIONGCO
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THE Ninoy Aquino Stadium (NAS), the first sports facility that housed COVID-19 patients, is undergoing disinfection as it prepares to admit an influx of new cases, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) said yesterday.
After hosting events during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, NAS was reconfigured to accommodate more than 100 hospital beds.
Following the release of its last patient, the NAS was closed to give way for the Armed Forces to disinfect the venue, according to PSC deputy executive director Guillermo Iroy.
The Rizal Memorial Coliseum, located less than 200 meters from the NAS, remains operational, hosting about 70 patients after releasing 24 as of Monday.
Iroy said the NAS and Rizal Coliseum had no death recorded as patients who were admitted just showed mild symptoms of the coronavirus.
Another PSC-controlled facility, the Philsports in Pasig, continues to house COVID-19 patients, whose symptoms are likewise mild.
The three venues all underwent major rehabilitation works last year for the country’s hosting of the SEA Games with Pagcor providing the monetary muscle.
These facilities are guarded by personnel from the military and police and will continue to admit patients until told to do otherwise.
