Instead of testing all evacuees for COVID-19 before they go back to their communities, symptoms screening and monitoring were recommended by the Department of Health as resources cannot meet the ideal setup.

Because the government does not have the resources to test all evacuees for the virus, concerned barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTs) in affected areas must be mobilized to do the symptoms screening instead in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus, the department said.

“In the ideal setup, napakaganda sana na ma-test lahat (it could be better to test all) before they go back to their communities,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a virtual media forum.

In order to still ensure that the virus won’t transfer among evacuees, the Health department recommended that symptoms screening and monitoring should be in place.

“In lieu of this testing for all people going back to the community, we really need our BHERTs mobilized and they are tasked to monitor the evacuees returning to their communities. Symptoms screening is our recommended way for now,” Vergeire said.

“Ideally kung meron tayong ganung (if we have that) resources, we can do that (testing),” she added, stressing that the government cannot recommend the testing at this point.

Aside from symptoms screening, the department also recommended the assignment of a safety officer in evacuation areas to monitor evacuees who are exhibiting symptoms and handle their transfer to a separate evacuation site.

Vergeire said that they are now studying on how to further strengthen the control for infection in evacuation sites as they recognize that the spread of virus in this kind of crowded sites is possible.

Whatever gaps experienced during the evacuation of residents during the onslaught of super typhoon Rolly “will be noted for future policies,” Vergeire added.