More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
One newly minted lawyer was not about to let social distancing rules bar his parents from his signing-in ceremony at the Supreme Court.
Told that visitors are not allowed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new lawyer found another way of bringing his parents to his signing of the roll at the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Instead of physically bringing his parents, Atty. Ivan Torres just brought a standee of them.
According to Torres, he wanted to share the moment with his parents but was told he could not bring guests.
Torres' parents are in Pampanga.
That's interesting but it would have been even more interesting if he had been living streaming the whole ceremony but cutting out a tiny hole in one his parents eyes and attaching a phone to the other side of the cardboard cut-out.
Contact tracing is a hard task and the Philippines does not have the manpower to accurately do it. The PNP has a solution though.
Being a “chismosa” or “chismoso” may help during these trying times.
It may sound funny, but Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), believes gossipers could be useful as contact tracers who can help stop the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) here.
According to Ferro, gossipers usually know the latest news about other people and this may be a way to help gather information useful for the government in its bid to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
“As what I have said in several pronouncements, it is not only the job or responsibility of the police, military, health workers, and the government. This is a responsibility of all Filipino citizens,” said Ferro.
He said that some members of the community who might be despised for being gossip peddlers could help the community in the fight against COVID-19.
Contact tracing is believed to be one of the most effective tool to be able to contain the spread of the virus, which, according to Ferro, would need more contact tracers. He said help from “chismosas” may make tracing easier.
He doesn't say exactly how those who know the latest gossip would be able to actually help with contract tracing which is a good indication that he has no idea himself how it work. The governor of Cavite outright rejected this proposal.
“I am sure there are better, more efficient and intelligent ways to make the people cooperate with the government,” he added.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1310893/cavite-gov-shuns-hiring-of-gossipmongers-to-help-in-contact-tracing
Perhaps PNP Brig. Gen. Ferro has time to make such silly suggestions because there is less crime to fight.
The government's intensified efforts to uphold the rule of law resulted in a 51-percent decline in the country's crime rate since the start of community quarantine measures in the country, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Wednesday.
Citing data from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Lorenzana said only 10,145 crimes were reported nationwide from March 17 to July 20, compared to the 20,575 crimes reported from Nov. 17, 2019 to March 16, 2020.
“Rule of law (is) strengthened, pinalakas natin ang pananaig sa batas ng ating bansa. Napanatili ng ating kapulisan ang kapayapaan at kaligtasan ng ating mga pamayanan. Bumaba ang bilang ng krimen, napabilis ang pagresolba sa mga ito at napaigting ang kampanya laban sa iligal na droga (we strengthened our commitment to uphold the law. Our police officers have maintained the peace and safety of our people. Crime incidents decreased and the resolution of these crimes were fast-tracked and we also strengthened the campaign against illegal drugs),” said Lorenzana, head of the Security, Justice and Peace Cluster at a pre-SONA forum.
The data covers the eight focus crimes of murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, car theft, and motorcycle theft.
The crime rate in Luzon declined by 52 percent, from 10,870 from Nov. 12, 2019 to March 16, 2020 to 5,267 from March 17 to July 20, while the Visayas registered a 53-percent decrease from 5,236 to 2,519, and Mindanao saw a 46-percent drop, from 4,379 to 2,359 over the same period.
Most of that undoubtedly has to do with curfews and quarantines which are still in effect to varying degrees around the country.
Cebu City is seeking to employ around 300 village watchmen and volunteers to help with contact tracing.
The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO – 7) announced on Thursday, July 23, 2020, that they will be conducting seminars for individuals tasked to help the city’s contact tracing initiatives.
“We have to maximize the number of contact tracers in the city. We encourage all – policemen and barangay tanods – to be contact tracers themselves,” said Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of PRO – 7.
Ferro said the first round of training will be held Thursday, which will be hosted by police officers from Cebu City.
No mention by PNP Brig. Gen. Ferro of gossipers in this bunch of volunteers.
From what I hear the COVID-19 swab test is not pleasant as it consists of a huge q-tip being shoved up your nostril and into the back of your throat. No wonder people want to fake their results.
Authorities have arrested two women for selling falsified coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) test results at a computer shop in Caloocan City on Thursday afternoon.
In a phone interview on Friday, Brig. Gen. Rhoderick Armamento, deputy director for administration of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said suspects Angelica Dellola and Jeshel Mohad were nabbed in an entrapment operation inside the TJ Computer Shop in Barangay 177.
"We had an entrapment operation. There is one police officer who needed a rapid anti-body test and for PHP500, he got the results," he said in Filipino.
The operation stemmed from a viral Facebook post where a netizen said that while waiting for her turn at the said computer shop, she saw a female employee of the shop change the name on the supposed rapid test result certificate through Photoshop, printed it and gave it over to the customer.
"We have identified the clinic, it is One-rad Medical and X-ray Clinic, and through our coordination with them, we found out that they were apprehensive because this might affect their services but they said they will cooperate with us," he added.
These
two ladies only got caught because
of one nosy customer. Just
goes to show that people should be more discrete.
Those who refuse to take a swab test may be subject to arrest says the DILG.
Assistant Secretary Alexander Macario of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) warns the residents who refuse to be swabbed during contact tracing.
Macario said that DILG Secretary Eduardo Año already made a statement that those who refuse to be swabbed may be arrested on site and be forced to undergo the swabbing.
This is because they can be considered as a threat to public heath if they refuse to be tested even if they have been traced as contacts to a positive or potential coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient.
They do not say if this mean that people will be placed in jail or simply be restrained and forcibly tested.
The IATF on COVID-19 has mandated that all motorcycles install a barrier for tandem riders. Not everyone thinks that is a good idea.
In a statement on Saturday, Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said he has received hundreds of appeals from poor families in Mindanao who depend on motorcycles for livelihood.
Piñol said the "motorcycle barrier policy" has only added undue financial burden and will affect efforts to restart the economy in Mindanao, especially in rural areas of the country where the motorcycle is the main vehicle for transport and livelihood.
Based on the gathered feedback by MinDA, Piñol said the public voiced out three primary reasons for asking reconsideration on the controversial policy.
First, the policy is impractical because the barrier poses danger to the riders during strong gusts of wind caused by huge vehicles coming from the opposite direction, which could throw the motorcycle off-balance and may lead to accidents.
Second, MinDA said the public viewed the barrier to be "expensive" and "oppressive."
Piñol said the excessive fines on violators of the policy could open a new window for corruption,” he added.
Third, Piñol said many viewed the policy to be discriminatory because the concern on the possible transmission of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) between two people traveling together is only focused on motorcycle riding but ignores those traveling inside air-conditioned private cars face greater risks.
"We support the IATF's effort to control the spread of the virus but surely, there are other ways of doing it other than implementing measures that would make life more difficult for our people," the MinDA chief added.
Will there be more motorcycle
accidents
once this policy is in effect? We will find out soon. However the barrier will come in handy in another way beside social distancing.
As protection from the rain! But look! The driver is now driving with one hand in the rain! That's not safe at all.
The PNP are being accused of violating social distancing rules.
Drawing sneers from netizens, the Philippine National Police on Sunday sent a music band to supposedly entertain the thousands of stranded people whom the government sheltered over the weekend at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, where they were made to undergo rapid testing for the coronavirus before being allowed to board buses taking them to the provinces.
Some of the comments on social media likened the PNP’s gesture to having the band on the Titanic play amid the chaos on deck as the ship slowly sank.
Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, the PNP spokesperson, defended the musical treat, saying the musicians were there to cheer up the so-called locally stranded individuals (LSIs) as they wait for their ride.
“As a big number of LSIs continue to cram… the stadium, all wanting to return to their home provinces through the government-sponsored transport program, our police had to think of ways to cheer the people up,” Banac said. “In such a big facility as a stadium, a musical band was deemed more suitable given the situation.”
Social media photos of the crowd since Friday drew public criticism over the way authorities gathered the stranded travelers on the bleachers apparently without observing social distancing.
But according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, health measures were still maintained at the sports venue.
“They (the travelers) brought along many of their belongings, that’s why the place looked crowded,” said Lorenzana, who also chairs the National Task Force against the New Coronavirus Disease.
Why does the PNP think they have to cheer people up? Lorenzana says the stadium only looked crowded because people brought their luggage with them but the picture clearly shows a crowded stadium and the PNP admits the stadium was crammed full. Later the Palace would admit mistakes were made.
“I would be blind if I will say there were no errors there. There were lapses,’’ presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said. “There should have been a system, that even though there were many people at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, social distancing should have been ensured.”
He appealed to the public to understand the plight of the stranded Filipinos who wanted to avail themselves of the government’s Hatid Tulong program so that they could go home to their provinces.
The Palace official made the remarks amid criticism of the Hatid Tulong program after photographs of people crowding Rizal Memorial Sports Complex without enough physical distancing went viral on social media. Some were seen outside the stadium enduring the heat and rain.
Hatid Tulong is the government’s transportation assistance to ferry stranded Filipinos to their home provinces amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
Even the Department of Health (DOH) had lamented the lack of physical distancing in the management of stranded people at the sports complex, which placed them at risk of infection from the coronavirus.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda, at least the Palace and the DOH did not deflect the same way the PNP and DND did.
Senator Lacson has alleged out irregularities with PhilHealth giving money to hospitals to fight COVID-19.
Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) released over P200 million worth of funds to hospitals treating only one COVID-19 patient each, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Saturday.
One hospital is in Bicol and another in Eastern Visayas, Lacson said in a radio interview over AM radio station DWIZ, but he did not identify the hospitals.
“And the money was released quickly,” he added, speaking in Filipino.
In Bicol, P247 million was released in just two weeks, and in Eastern Visayas, P196 million was released in just a week, he said.
“But they only have one COVID-19 patient [each],” he added.
Lacson lamented that there were other hospitals full of COVID-19 in dire need of funds from PhilHealth.
“This is a surprising allegation. We got this report and we will ask [at a planned Senate hearing] if this is true. But this has records,” he said.
It's not really a surprising allegation. PhilHealth has always been wracked with corruption.
COVID-19 cases in the Philippines now surpass those recorded in China.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines surpassed Wednesday the national caseload of China—where the severe respiratory illness emerged last year.
The Department of Health reported 1,874 additional COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 85,486.
Mainland China had a total of 84,060 cases as of Wednesday morning, according to the latest bulletin posted by the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region. Cases in China’s special administrative regions of Hong Kong (2,884) and Macau (46) were separately tallied.
Even though the Philippines has surpassed China in COVID-19 cases President Xi said he would give the Philippines priory access to a vaccine should they develop one.
China said it would give priority access to the Philippines once it successfully develops a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Beijing gave its assurance after President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned in his fifth State of the Nation Address that he “made a plea” to Chinese President Xi Jinping to prioritize the Philippines when providing a COVID-19 vaccine.
The president did not say how he sent his plea to Xi, although he has been effusive with praise and appreciation for China in the months since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the Philippines.
“The Philippines is a friendly close neighbor and we will give priority to its needs once we succeed in developing a vaccine,” Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said in a briefing.
Duterte is pinning his hopes on a coronavirus vaccine, which he claimed would be “around the corner.”
But while laboratories across the world are racing to develop a vaccine to help end the health crisis that has infected over 16 million people globally, the World Health Organization said that COVID-19 vaccinations cannot be expected until early 2021.
Why is Duterte "pinning his hopes on a coronavirus vaccine" when any vaccine is a long way off? Could it because the government is not doing such good job at stemming the number of cases? They will have to change their game.
In an interview with CNN-Philippines, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque refused to give a categorical statement when asked if there is a big chance that Metro Manila will return to modified enhanced community quarantine or stricter lockdown on August 1.
President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce on Thursday the new quarantine classifications across the country.
“If I were to answer that, then that precludes the President,” Roque said. “Metro Manila will be a living experiment and it’s an experiment that we believe we can be successful at, and it will be something that we can be proud of.”
What
will this experiment
look like? Maybe like this:
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, however, emphasized the need to rely less on classifications, and instead be more “innovative” in terms of Covid-19 response.
“The people will now see the difference in the response that we will have, it is now thoroughly invigorated and part of it, is we build capacity and we now have the capacity to do what we wanted from the very beginning,” he said in an interview over CNN Philippines.
Roque said expanded targeted testing will soon be possible after pool or batch testing, which makes use of one reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test kit for 10 to 20 persons, has been approved in principle.
“There will be expanded targeted testing, beyond numbers that they probably would not have imagined,” he said.
He said they would also reinvigorate tracing by building an army of volunteers, enhance isolation by building more isolation centers for mild and asymptomatic patients, and improving treatment with the use of life-saving equipment such as high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) machines.
"We now have the capacity to do what we wanted from the very beginning." That does not sounds experimental at all. That sounds like they are going to be doing what they should have been doing from the beginning!
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