After three persons were confirmed to have been afflicted with the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Albay, the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (PIATF) decided not to fetch the new sets of Albayanos stranded at the Quezon-Bicol boundary in a police checkpoint in Del Gallego town, Camarines Sur.

Albay IATF chairman, Governor Al Francis Bichara, in a press conference on Monday said that instead of fetching those stranded, the provincial government will just provide their basic needs.

“Ayaw na ng mga tao dito dahil kasi baka mahawa sila. Malala na ang nangyayari sa Manila (People here are already refusing to fetch them. The situation in Manila is already alarming),” he said.

Bichara added that they are already coordinating with the province of Camarines Sur to take care of some 121 Albayanos.

“Ngayon doon na gagawin ang 14 days quarantine nila. Tutulungan namin sila sa pagkain. Sa ngayon kasi nagbibilang na rin ng araw ang mga tao, ayaw na nila mahaluan (They will observe the 14-day quarantine period there. We will help them on food. Because people here are already counting days as they are observing self/home quarantine. They don’t want to be infected by having more people here),” he added.

Bichara also said they have already fetched three batches of stranded people.

Based on the data of the provincial government, some 334 Albayanos were already allowed entry and rescued in three batches.

Albay currently has 24,068 persons under monitoring (PUMs) in its three districts.

Meanwhile, in Catanduanes, acting Governor Shirley Araojo-Abundo guaranteed continuous assistance to 35 stranded Catandunganons currently quarantined at the Tabaco National High School (TNHS) in Albay.

Abundo together with the local chief executives of all municipalities in the province unanimously decided not to immediately allow these stranded residents back in the island.

The governor, in a text message to the Philippine News Agency on Monday, said she already coordinated with Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman regarding the situation of their 35 stranded residents at TNHS.

She asked Lagman to shelter the 35 persons until they finish the quarantine period. In exchange, Catanduanes will also take good care of Albayano construction workers stranded in the province. (PNA)