MANILA, Philippines — Imbis na makatulong, tila ikinapahamak pa raw ng mga locallly stranded individuals (LSIs) ang pagtipon sa kanila ng gobyerno sa Rizal Memorial Sports Stadium kamakailan, bagay na lumabag sa physical distancing kontra coronavirus disease (COVID-19), ayon sa Department of Health (DOH), Lunes.
Kumalat kasi nitong weekend ang litrato ng mga stranded individuals, kung saan libu-libong LSIs ang dikit-dikit at napilitan nang matulog sa bleachers ng stadium. Marami sa kanila ay bata o sanggol pa.
Basahin: LOOK: Stranded individuals cramped up inside Rizal Memorial Sports Complex
LOOK: While the gov't has prohibited rallies during President Duterte's SONA on Monday due to "COVID-19 health protocols," thousands of locally stranded individuals stuck in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex are seen without proper social distancing.
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) July 25, 2020
???? Miguel de Guzman pic.twitter.com/rRSyJzDmZA
The LSIs, who have set up sleeping areas on bleachers, are the beneficiaries of the second batch of the country's Hatid Tulong program, which will send them back to their respective provinces after they were stranded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) July 25, 2020
???? The STAR/Miguel de Guzman pic.twitter.com/Hc2x0V4ZJO
“Nakakalungkot na nangyayari ito. We have relayed protocol sa specific agencies, reminders na bawal ang mass gathering, pero nangyayari pa rin ito sa ating mga kababayan," sabi ni Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire sa isang virtual briefing.
"Bawal ang mass gathering, kahit saan, iyan po dapat ang pinakamahigpit na pinatutupad, kasama iyong minimum health standards [na] dapat nasusunod."
Ang mga nasabing LSI ay benepisyaryo sana ng second batch ng "Hatid Tulong" program ng gobyerno, na siyang magbabalik sana sa kanila sa kanya-kanyang probinsya habang may pandemya.
Ang masaklap nga lang, walo hanggang siyam sa 4,000 LSIs sa sports complex ang sinasabing COVID-19 suspects, matapos magpositibo sa rapid test, ayon kay Presidential Management Staff Assistant Secretary Joseph Encabo, Lunes.
May kinalaman: 8-9 stranded individuals at Rizal Memorial stadium suspected to have COVID-19
Ayon pa kay Encabo, napilitan silang ilagay sa stadium ang libu-libong katao matapos nilang mapansin na nagbabadya ang malakas na pag-ulan.
"Because of unavoidable circumstances, it’s a decision of choosing lesser evil and we really have to give them the shelter and temporary refuge," sabi niya.
"That’s the least that we could do, somehow that’s the best that we could offer because we have to protect these LSIs on the heavy downpour and at the same time he intense heat of the sun while waiting outside."
Ani Vergeire, pinaabutan na nila ng mensahe ang Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) at iba pang mga ahensya para mapag-usapan ng COVID-19 task force ang isyu.
Sa huling taya ng DOH noong Linggo, lampas 80,000 na ang tinatamaan ng COVID-19 sa Pilipinas habang halos 2,000 sa kanila ang pumanaw na. — James Relativo at may mga ulat mula kay kristine Joy Patag