The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has not received any complaints about overcrowded evacuation centers so far, according to its administrator.
"Wala namang report na pumapasok satin of any incident of overcrowding sa mga evacuation center," Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad told DZRH in an interview.
(We have not yet received reports of overcrowding incidents in evacuation centers.)
"Strikto naman yung ating mga local government units (LGUs) … so hindi nila hayaan yan na may maihalo. So ang problema na lang yung mga untested positive, mga hindi alam," he added.
(Our local government units are strict … so they will not allow [COVID-positive patients] to get mixed with the rest of the population. So the problem includes people who are untested positive, those who do not know [that they have COVID].)
According to Jalad, LGUs have antigen tests that they could utilize to check the people are entering evacuation centers.
The extra measure comes amid concerns that evacuation facilities could become superspreader areas of COVID-19 because of overcrowding.
Jalad said LGUs have been reminded to avoid putting a lot of people in one evacuation center as the COVID-19 pandemic is still out there.
"'Yan ang ating sinasabi sa local government units, huwag hayaang kumpol-kumpol yung mga tao diyan sa evacuation center," he said.
(That is what we’ve been telling local government units, to not allow crowds inside evacuation centers.)
"Gumamit ng mas marami pang facilities, like for example itong mga eskwelahan. You spread out yung ating mga kababayan diyan sa loob ng evacuation center," he added.
(They should use more facilities, like schools. You spread out our people inside the evacuation center.)
According to Jalad, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the OCD are currently monitoring the situations in evacuation centers.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said on Thursday that over 45,300 people or more than 12,200 families from Eastern Visayas and Caraga regions evacuated to government-provided shelters before Typhoon Odette made its first landfall.
