Group urges Comelec to assign health workers in area for symptomatic voters

A NON-PARTISAN coalition urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to improve safety protocols for voters who exhibit coronavirus symptoms during the May 9 national and local elections.

“Designating personnel with medical training or knowledge for the IPP (isolated polling places) is a practice worth replicating,” the group PARTICIPATE said in a statement on Wednesday. 

“Support staff stationed in the IPP should be provided with additional personal protective equipment to cater to symptomatic voters,” it added.

Comelec Spokesman James B. Jimenez said in a virtual forum last week that voting sites will have separate booths for symptomatic voters, as implemented in last year’s Palawan plebiscite.

There will be around 105,000 polling precincts this year, mostly public schools. In comparison, there were 80,000 during the 2019 elections, Mr. Jimenez said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez