Families observe social distancing at evacuation centers in Samar

Evacuees follow physical distancing rule as a precaution against the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, while inside evacuation centers where they stayed during the onslaught of typhoon Ambo. Photo by Rachel Arnaiz, Inquirer Visayas

CATARMAN, Northern Samar — Residents, who were forced to leave their homes amid the onslaught of Typhoon Ambo, observed physical distancing while staying inside evacuation centers in Barangay Dalakit here on Thursday, May 14.

Serafin Chia, chairman of Dalakit, the biggest village in Catarman, said they used the barangay hall as well as classrooms of the two public schools in the village as temporary shelters for 172 evacuated families.

He said individual families stayed in separate rooms at the barangay hall.

A maximum of three families occupied each classroom in three buildings of the Catarman National High School, the biggest secondary school in Northern Samar.

Classroom chairs were used to separate the families.

School buildings at the Northern Samar Colleges (NSC) were also used as evacuation centers.

In Barangay Baybay, benches were used to separate families that evacuated to the barangay chapel.

Most of the evacuees, however, were not wearing face masks inside their evacuation centers because these got wet in the rain during the transfer.

JPV