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Pandemic poses ‘challenge’ in evacuating residents amid Dante

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/06/02/20210601-tropical-storm-dante-evac-center-agusan-del-norte-em.jpg"/><figcaption>Residents use a gymnasium as an evacuation center in Remedios T. Romualdez, Agusan del Norte on Tuesday to escape heavy floods and rains brought by Tropical Storm Dante. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA—The COVID-19 pandemic made more difficult the evacuation of residents in Southern Leyte and the Caraga region from the onslaught of tropical storm Dante, officials said Thursday.</p><p>The storm had brought heavy rains that inundated 5 provinces in Caraga, with Agusan del Norte the worst hit, said Office of Civil Defense-Caraga regional director Liza Mazo.</p><p>The situation in the region has since gone &quot;back to normal&quot; and evacuees have returned to their homes on Wednesday, she added.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yun ang challenge natin every time nang magumpisa ang pandemic. Paglikas is always a problem kasi maraming hesitant, ayaw umalis kasi takot din. Ineensure lang ng respondents natin ang wearing of face masks,&quot; she told ABS-CBN&#x27;s Teleradyo.</p><p>(That&#x27;s the challenge every time since the pandemic began. Evacuation is always a problem because many are hesitant, many do not want to leave because they&#x27;re scared. Our respondents just make sure wearing of face masks is observed.)</p><p>&quot;Limited ang pwedeng ilikas in 1 vehicle. Ensure lang may mask at social distancing pa rin sa evacuation centers.&quot;</p><p>(The number of evacuees is limited per vehicle. We just ensure masks are worn and social distancing is observed in evacuation centers.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1698520" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Authorities faced the same challenge in Southern Leyte, where virus cases have &quot;tripled&quot;, even quadrupled, in a month, said Governor Damian Mercado.</p><p>The province as of Wednesday has 147 active COVID-19 cases out of 1,517 total infections, according to the Department of Health.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/02/21/bagyong-dante-nagdala-ng-pagbaha-landslide-sa-ilang-probinsiya">Bagyong Dante nagdala ng pagbaha, landslide sa ilang probinsiya</a></li></ul><p>Residents in flood or landslide-prone areas have been repeatedly advised to relocate, Mercado said. Some 81 individuals or 26 families were preemptively evacuated as of Wednesday, the national disaster council said.</p><p>&quot;Kapag malakas na typhoon at malakas ang ulan, we advised them huwag na lang (tumira) dyan,&quot; he said. &quot;Meron kaming other location, magpunta doon tapos magbalik pa rin sa pwesto nila, ganu&#x27;n ang nangyayari.&quot;</p><p>(If there&#x27;s a typhoon and rains are strong, we tell them not to stay where they live. We relocate them and they do come with us, but they still go back.) </p><p>The mayor said he has since required returning residents to present a negative swab test result and authorization from their barangay chairperson and mayor.</p><p>&quot;Maraming umuwi galing sa high-risk (areas katulad ng) Manila kaya ngayon alarming ang pag-increase ng positive namin,&quot; Mercado said.</p><p>(Many went home from high-risk areas, such as Manila, so the increase in positive cases has been alarming.)</p><p>The province has also appealed to the DOH to allocate more vaccines, he added.</p><p>&quot;Kulang kami ng vaccine. Ang allocation namin 2,000 per week, masyadong konti lang &#x27;pag 2,000 per week,&quot; Mercado said.</p><p>(Our vaccine allocation is not enough, 2,000 per week is not enough.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1698522" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><div> </div>

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic made more difficult the evacuation of residents in Southern Leyte and the Caraga region from Dante's onslaught, officials said Thursday.</p>

The COVID-19 pandemic made more difficult the evacuation of residents in Southern Leyte and the Caraga region from Dante's onslaught, officials said Thursday.