DOH to evacuees: To avoid spoiling, consume cooked food within 4 hours

Cooked food donated to victims of heavy monsoon rain and floods should be consumed within four hours or should be kept warm to avoid possible spoiling or contamination.

This was the advice of National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Enrique Tayag.

"Q: Should we donate cooked food for evacuation centers? A: only if they will be used within 4 hours after cooking or they will be kept warm," Tayag said on his Twitter account.

On Wednesday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 29,041 families or 132,969 people are staying in 425 evacuation centers.

A report by radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo said the Department of Health is wary of contamination of food in evacuation centers.

Children getting sick

Another report by Mateo said that some children were already getting sick in some evacuation centers in Manila.

Former First Lady and Senator Luisa "Loi" Ejercito went to the Baseco evacuation center to conduct a medical mission.

During the medical mission, two children were found to have difficulty breathing and were brought to the Gat Andres Bonifacio Medical Center for treatment.

In Marikina City, a separate report by dzBB's Glen Juego said some children in evacuation centers there were also getting sick and showing symptoms of fever. — BM, GMA News