Typhoon evacuees with COVID-19 climb to 5

MANILA, Philippines — The number of typhoon evacuees in Marikina City who tested positive for COVID-19 has climbed to five, Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said yesterday.

This prompted the city government to test some 12,000 residents staying at evacuation centers.

Of the number of evacuees tested for COVID-19, Teodoro said 153 were found to be reactive with the rapid tests.

“The five who tested positive for the virus were taken to quarantine facilities,” Teodoro said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

He said those who interacted with the patients have tested negative for the virus.

On Thursday, a 68-year-old evacuee tested positive for COVID-19.

The asymptomatic patient was taken to the Marikina Hotel for isolation.

Teodoro assured the public that the city government was doing everything to prevent an outbreak of the virus at evacuation sites.

He said they have asked the National Housing Authority and private entities to help residents whose houses were destroyed by Typhoon Ulysses.

“We are assessing who among the evacuees have houses that were totally damaged and how many were partially damaged,” Teodoro said, adding that poor residents would be prioritized in the distribution of housing materials donated by private entities.