LGUs urged to lift quarantine rules, allow typhoon relief teams in

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Sunday urged local government units (LGU) to temporarily lift their COVID-19 quarantine restrictions and health protocols to allow typhoon rescue and relief teams to do their work.

Año made the suggestion during the security briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte in Cagayan amid the massive flooding experienced in the province as well as in Isabela due to Typhoon Ulysses.

"Nagbigay kami ng advisory sa mga LGUs, sa mga hard-hit areas, na pwedeng i-lift muna yung restriction sa health protocols para sa mga rescue, relief and recovery teams na pupunta at magdadala ng relief goods katulad sa Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, dito sa Isabela at Cagayan," Año said.

LGUs only need to coordinate with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Office of Civil Defense should they decide to temporarily relieve their quarantine restrictions, he added.

In an earlier interview with dzBB, The Department of Health said they will be sending a reinforcement team to Region II to help health workers in responding to the needs of the residents who were affected by the massive flooding.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said health workers in Region II have already asked DOH for help as they are already weary following the successive typhoons that affected the region.

"Ang Region II, nagpa-SOS na. Kasi kumo-quota na tayo sa bagyo. Sunud-sunod ang bagyo, napapagod na rin ang ating mga health workers kasi may mga nagre-reinforce," she said.

"So magpapadala kami bukas ng augmentation health team galing sa iba't ibang health teams ng ating mga region," she added. — DVM, GMA News