The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has installed a total of 581 improvised handwashing facilities in Southern Leyte as part of its initiative to fight the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

In a phone interview on Wednesday, PRC Southern Leyte chapter administrator Jonas Maco said these facilities made from used tires and empty drums were distributed in different local government units, schools, churches, and other establishments in the province from March to June.

“The initiative dubbed the Clean Hands, Save Lives project started in mid-March. This is a continuous project and we are making more to help the community, as long as we have donors. This is a unique project and could be for long-term use,” he added.

The humanitarian organization, under its Covid-19 initiatives, has also served 6,235 food packs and assisted some 4,324 front-liners with personal protective equipment in the province.

Maco said they also launched a skills training program dubbed “Red Cross 1243 Covid-19 Skills Camp” for locally stranded individuals housed in its 30-bed quarantine facility in Maasin City, the capital of Southern Leyte.

A total of 1,242 units of donated blood to PRC in Southern Leyte has also served some 717 patients amid the global health crisis, he added.

“We thanked all our donors, as through your donations, we are able to accomplish our goal of alleviating the human suffering brought by this pandemic and we will continue working towards our mission. You truly make the difference for us and to the people where help is rendered,” Maco said.

Since the outbreak in the country, the province has confirmed a total of 95 cases, the DOH said.

Meanwhile, Eastern Visayas has confirmed a total of 695 cases, including 643 recoveries and three deaths from Leyte, Biliran, and Samar. (PNA)