Transmission of COVID-19 in evacuation centers a 'very strong possibility,' Duque warns

The transmission of COVID-19 in evacuation centers is a "very strong possibility," Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned the public on Friday after Typhoon Ulysses rendered the "stay at home" pandemic response policy impossible for many Filipino families.

During a briefing with other government agencies involved in Typhoon Ulysses response, Duque advised the local government units and emergency responders to observe minimum health standards to avoid the spread of the virus among the evacuees.

"It's a very strong possibility kaya kinakailangang magmatyag ang atin pong mga safety officers na ipinapatalaga ng DOH (Department of Health) sa mga local government units," he said.

Only one family should be accommodated per classroom or tent as much as possible, according to Duque. He added that these temporary shelters should be properly ventilated.

He also recommended that those belonging to the vulnerable population such as the elderly and pregnant be isolated.

The basic protocols such as regular handwashing, wearing of face masks, and social distancing should not be neglected.

According to NDRRMC executive director Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, 64,500 families or 231,300 individuals had been preemptively evacuated before Ulysses hit. An additional 44,194 families or 170,500 individuals have evacuated through rescue operations, he added.

More than 12,000 evacuation centers had been activated by affected local government units, according to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

He also mentioned that the local  government units were able to evacuate a total of 102,806 families or 345,119 individuals.

"Ito ay maaring mas mataas sa numero ng NDRRMC sapagkat ang pinagbasehan ay nasa evacuation center. Ito ay individuals na nailikas ng ating LGUs pero ang iba rito ay hindi naman napunta sa evacuation centers kundi sa kanilang mga kamag-anak," Ano said.

As of November 12, a total of 402,820 COVID-19 cases were recorded in the Philippines, of whom 362,417 have recovered and 7,721 died. More than 32,600 are still tagged as "active cases."

Aside from COVID-19, the DOH is also monitoring other possible diseases which may affect the evacuees, such as leptospirosis and diarrhea.—AOL, GMA News