Health officers are on standby to monitor the situation in evacuation centers, official says MANILA: Thousands of residents remain in evacuation centers across Luzon island in the Philippines, where days of torrential monsoon rains intensified by typhoon In-fa have caused flooding in many low-lying areas. Authorities said that at least three people were reported dead and five others injured, while the rains had destroyed 109 houses and 374 others had been damaged. Data released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Sunday showed that 19,521 families or 87,493 people from 212 villages in the capital region (Metro Manila) and outlying provinces were affected by the heavy rains. Of the total affected population, some 6,064 families composed of 24,798 people were forced to flee their homes, the majority of them seeking shelter in evacuation centers. Amid concerns that evacuation sites could become epicenters of COVID-19 infections, officials said that steps were being undertaken to prevent this. “We organize the national government agencies into response clusters,” NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad told Arab News. “Concerned with augmenting the capacities of local government units in the management of evacuation centers is the camp coordination and management cluster with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as lead agency,” said the official. “To prevent the spread of COVID-19, school classrooms are used and we make sure that it will be one family for one classroom. In other evacuation centers, modular partitions or tents are used with one family getting one tent,” Jalad said. Mark Timbal, NDRRMC spokesperson, said those tasked to oversee the evacuation of affected residents were following a set of guidelines that took the COVID-19 pandemic into consideration. “So, prior to the evacuees actually leaving their homes, they have to wear a face mask and face shield. In the evacuation centers upon their arrival, if the local government unit has available antigen rapid test kits they can implement the testing as well,” Timbal told Arab News. “Part of the initial assessment for the evacuees is that if there is someone who is exhibiting symptoms of respiratory disease or flu-like symptoms, they’re not allowed to go to evacuation centers but instead they are brought to an isolation facility or the nearest hospital depending on the situation of the patient,” he added. In the evacuation centers, Timbal said that local government units (LGUs) had been briefed to make sure that there was only one family in one room or tent so that physical distancing could be observed. “And there should be no overcrowding in evacuation centers,” Timbal said. He explained that there was now also a maximum number of people allowed per evacuation center. “The number that has been pre-identified by the local government already considers social distancing requirements. So that if that number is already reached, the excess evacuees will be brought to an alternative facility,” Timbal said. Health officers are also on standby to monitor the situation in evacuation centers so that they can immediately address any possible case of COVID-19 infection, as well as conduct contract tracing. Timbal said that, so far, there had been no reports of an evacuee exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. However, LGUs have been told to ensure that strict monitoring continues, and that if anyone displays symptoms they should be immediately isolated for the protection of the other evacuees. For those who have lost their house, Timbal said that the government had a program to provide them with funds and construction materials. The military and police have deployed their personnel to assist in relief operations for people displaced by extreme weather conditions in the Cordilleras, Central Luzon and MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan).