DOH fears COVID-19 spike from evacuation centers

MANILA, Philippines — The transmission of the coronavirus disease and other contagious illnesses is a strong possibility in evacuation centers, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned yesterday.

As such, the Department of Health (DOH) is urging officials and the public to strictly observe minimum health standards at evacuation centers where tens of thousands have taken shelter due to the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

“It (infection) is a very strong possibility,” Duque said at a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting.

“DOH safety officers in local government units (LGUs) must monitor compliance with minimum health standards at evacuation centers – not just for COVID,” he said in Filipino.

He noted that aside from COVID-19, the DOH is monitoring the possible spread of leptospirosis, acute dermatitis, diarrhea and other flood- and hazard-related diseases.

“We’re monitoring a lot of diseases. Caution is a must,” Duque said.

He reiterated the importance of wearing face masks and frequent washing of hands.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said any transmission of COVID-19 in evacuation centers will not be immediately known.

“That threat of COVID-19 rising is always there if there is crowding… You will see the effects in three to four weeks,” she said.

Vergeire said there is no need to subject the evacuees to COVID-19 testing upon entering the evacuation centers, but it is important that they be screened for symptoms and for a history of contacts.

Duque said that if possible, only one family should be housed per classroom or tent in evacuation centers. He also underscored the need for ventilation to prevent the spread of diseases.

While most of the DOH hospitals are functional, the health chief noted that the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina City was flooded inside so patients had to be moved to higher floors.

Other hospitals also experienced power interruptions and understaffing due to the storm.

About 250 patients and staff in COVID-19 treatment centers were also evacuated to safer facilities due to Ulysses.

Yesterday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) deployed nearly 1,000 of its officers to evacuation centers to secure the people displaced by the typhoon.

Gen. Debold Sinas, newly installed PNP chief, said a total of 994 policemen were fielded in evacuation centers in Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 4-A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon or Calabarzon), 4-B (Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Roblon, and Palawan or Mimaropa), 5 (Bicol), and Metro Manila.

Data from the PNP showed that at least 96,169 families or 351,476 individuals sought refuge in 12,707 evacuation centers in the seven regions.

Earlier, the PNP deployed 6,869 policemen for search and rescue operations in areas severely battered by Ulysses.

Special protection for children

Special interventions for the protection of children, especially from COVID-19, must be implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and LGUs amid typhoon relief efforts for affected youth, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said.

He emphasized the importance of implementing the Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children (CEPC), which was created under Republic Act No. 10821 or the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act.

Under the law, the CEPC should serve as the basis for handling disasters and other emergency situations to protect and support the immediate recovery of children, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers.

Citing the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, he said an estimated 724,000 children were affected in areas hit by super Typhoon Rolly alone.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also warned that the most affected children, including their families, are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection and other diseases because of crowding in evacuation centers.

Gatchalian said LGUs are mandated to integrate the CEPC in their Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management plans and budget and this becomes more important now that there is a pandemic.

Part of the components of the CEPC is the establishment of child-friendly spaces in areas under a state of calamity. The program also mandates the DOH to coordinate with the DSWD, LGUs and civil society organizations to provide the health, medical and nutritional needs of affected children, including psychosocial interventions.

Since the CEPC ensures immediate delivery of basic necessities and services to affected children such as food, water, medicines and sanitary and hygiene kits, Gatchalian pointed out that public health supplies needed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 such as face masks, alcohol and sanitizers should also be distributed to children and their families.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros also underscored the need to provide free face masks and alcohol at evacuation centers run by government agencies to help protect the survivors of Typhoon Ulysses from COVID-19.

Hontiveros said government agencies such as the DOH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government should ensure functional sanitary facilities in the centers as well as crucial compliance with health protocols.

“If we think that the situation is serious now, it will be even worse if our evacuation centers become a COVID ‘super spreader.’ For most of the victims, they have lost everything, then, will they still get sick? Let us help them avoid COVID-19,” she said in Filipino. – Cecille Suerte Felipe