At least 3 evacuees who have fled their homes to escape the wrath of the Mayon volcano have contracted COVID-19, a local official said Monday.

Eugene Escobar of the Albay Public Safety and Management Office (APSEMO) said the 3 evacuees who tested positive for COVID were isolated together with their close contacts.

• Another Mayon evacuee in Daraga, Albay tests positive for COVID-19

None of them are in critical condition and they are all being monitored and given medicines regularly, he told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

At least 2,242 evacuees have sought medical consultation for cough, colds, fever, sore throat, wounds and bruises, and high blood
pressure, among others, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in an 8 a.m. report.

“Doon po sa health surveillance, nakita po na isa sa pinakamataas na bilang ay yung mga sipon, ubo, o yung mga respiratory-related illnesses, again expected to natin ito dahil po sa mainit po pero umuulan pa rin dito sa amin, naka-expose din po sila sa environment,” Escobar said.

“Although nasa loob po sila ng mga building, medyo mainit din po kaya isa yun sa dahilan po,” he said.

(Our health surveillance noted that the most common health problem among our evacuees were colds, cough, and other respiratory illnesses. Again, we think this is related to the fact that even though it is hot here, it still gets rainy sometimes. They are exposed to the environment. Although they are indoors, they are also exposed to the environment.)

• Mga nagkakasakit sa Mayon evacuation center binabantayan

Escobar also noted that poor ventilation in the evacuation centers could also have led to their constituents getting sick.

He noted that there were around 5,700 families or some 20,000 persons in evacuation centers in the province.

Authorities are working to bring more drinking water to the evacuees, he said.

• Tubig, palikuran pangunahing problema ng ilang evacuation centers sa Albay