MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Sports Commission's (PSC) Rizal Memorial Sports Complex has been converted into a quarantine facility for the government amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Along with other PSC venues like the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City, Rizal Memorial has been serving as an additional facility for various reasons as the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus.
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The Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in particular is being used to house "locally stranded individuals" (LSIs).
However, photos surfaced on Friday evening showing thousands of LSIs cramped up at the bleachers of the stadium without any form of proper social distancing.
LOOK: While the gov't has prohibited rallies during President Duterte's SONA on Monday due to "COVID-19 health protocols," thousands of locally stranded individuals stuck in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex are seen without proper social distancing.
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) July 25, 2020
???? Miguel de Guzman pic.twitter.com/rRSyJzDmZA
The LSIs are supposed beneficiaries of the second batch of the country's Hatid Tulong program, which will send them back to their respective provinces after being stranded due to quarantine measures.
The LSIs, who have set up sleeping areas on bleachers, are the beneficiaries of the second batch of the country's Hatid Tulong program, which will send them back to their respective provinces after they were stranded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) July 25, 2020
???? The STAR/Miguel de Guzman pic.twitter.com/Hc2x0V4ZJO
Total cases of COVID-19 in the country breached 76,000 on Friday with more than 50,000 active cases.
With the health crisis still clearly wreacking havoc, the lack of proper safety protocols for LSIs in the PSC's stadiums is a point of concern.