More than 140,000 people took refuge on Friday, May 15, in emergency shelters in the Philippines because of typhoon Vongfong, which comes to thwart the fight against the coronavirus which infected more than 11,800 people and left 790 dead in the country. 

Heavy rain has hit the center of the archipelago since the storm arrived on Thursday, which passed through areas populated by hundreds of thousands of people. Typhoon struck as millions of Filipinos are believed to be homebound due to the Covid-19. But more than 140,000 people had to seek shelter elsewhere than at home because of the risk posed by the storm, authorities said. 

"You must wear masks and observe the rules of distancing at all times," said Carlito Abriz, of the Philippine police, to AFP. "It's difficult to enforce, because people are stressed." 

Authorities said the emergency shelters would only operate at 50% of their capacity, that they would provide masks for those without them, and that they would try not to separate the families. 

However, a number of places normally intended to serve as evacuation centers have been used as quarantine sites. Fortunately, the center of the archipelago where the storm hit is not the area most affected by the Covid-19. 

The country is hit each year by an average of twenty typhoons which make victims and cause considerable damage, helping to keep millions of people in poverty. 

The deadliest cyclone ever recorded in the country was Super Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 7,300 people in 2013. 

With AFP 

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