Travellers stranded in Albay to get shelter in holding areas for quarantine before going home

LEGAZPI CITY—Two separate holding areas were opened in Albay province to service persons under monitoring (PUM), or those with no symptoms but with possible contact with infection for novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Antonio Ludovice, provincial health officer, said a holding area for persons who had travelled to other provinces was opened in Ligao City at the Albay Rehabilitation Center, a drug rehab facility at the village of Tula-Tula Grande. The holding area is in a building separate from the rehab facility.

The building can accommodate 45 male and 10 female PUM.

As of Monday (March 23), the facility was housing 22 PUM who had been stranded in the town of Del Gallego, Camarines Sur province. Two were residents of the provinces of Sorsogon and Leyte, Ludovice said.

“We used it as holding area for stranded persons,” he said.

Local government units were to pick them up to continue their quarantine period, he added.

Eva Grageda, provincial social welfare and development officer, said the Albay provincial government allocated P350 per day for the food of the PUM.

They were also given hygiene kits that contained soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and other basic needs.

In Tabaco City, the two-story evacuation center in Tabaco National High School was also used as quarantine area for PUM who just arrived from other areas.

Councilor Raul Borejon said residents of other places who had been stranded and ended up in Tabaco would be put on quarantine for 14 days before they were allowed to go home.

At least 48 PUM are in Tabaco.

Edited by TSB