Rescuers face difficulties during Typhoon ‘Ambo’ amidst threat of COVID-19

FILE: FIRST STORM OF 2020. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) senior weather specialist Christopher Perez gives an update on Tropical Depression “Ambo” at the PAGASA Weather and Flood Forecasting Center in Quezon City on Monday (May 11, 2020). “Ambo” is expected to bring scattered light to moderate with isolated heavy rains over Mindanao in the next 24 hours. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

Rescuers are having difficulties evacuating residents while following protocols of social distancing as the Typhoon Ambo (international name: Vongfong) made a landfall in Eastern Samar yesterday, endangering thousands in the area.

Governor Ben Evardone said that the provincial government is struggling to find places for evacuation as suitable places are already turned into quarantine facilities for patients infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“It’s a complicated situation right now in the province. We prepared our evacuation centers for COVID-19, but we have to deal with the evacuees of Typhoon Ambo. This is a nightmare for us here,” Evardone told CNN Philippines.

“Problema namin ay saan namin isiksik ‘yung aming kababayan at paano namin ipa-practice ‘yung social distancing dun sa mga evacuation centers. So double time talaga kami dito (Our problem is that how are we going to gather our people inside while also practicing social distancing. We’re working double-time here),” he added.

Evardone said to DZMM that schools that have been closed due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) are also used as evacuation centers.

“Hindi naman puwedeng dalhin namin doon iyong mga evacuees sa mga centers lalo na kung mayroon dong naka-ano na COVID. Hindi puwedeng paghalo-haluin iyon (We can’t bring the evacuees to the evacuation centers especially if those who may be carriers of COVID-19. We can’t merge them),” he told DZMM.

With two crises to be dealt with in Samar, Evardone said they are running low on resources.

“We have been dealing with this COVID crisis in the past two months, and most of the resources of the LGUs are depleted right now,” he said.

More than 140,000 people are affected by the typhoon as it continues to pummel through the Samar province and making its pathway through other areas in the country.

In other areas such as Eastern Visayas and Bicol, evacuation centers are accepting only half of their capacity to ensure that they are observing social distancing to combat the threat of the COVID-19 and evacuees are required to wear masks.

In Albay, Disaster Chief Cedric Daep said that many evacuees fled with relief goods distributed by authorities early on, and churches were asked to be converted as evacuation centers.

“Ang resources na ginagamit namin iyong pang-COVID din po (The resources we used here are the relief goods for COVID-19),” he told DZMM.

Evacuees were required to sleep one bench apart and to keep one-meter distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will persist Friday in Bicol Region, and Quezon, Aurora, Marinduque, Laguna, Rizal, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces as Signal no. 2 is raised in these areas.

PAGASA also said that the typhoon was last tracked over the coastal waters of San Andres, which is located in Luzon.

Ambo is expected to leave Philippine territory as a tropical depression by Tuesday.