More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
ABS-CBN may have lost the right to broadcast TV shows to the nation but they have not lost their sense of style.
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| https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/fashion-and-beauty/2020/11/05/2054776/abs-cbn-launches-face-mask-collection |
Embattled media network ABS-CBN recently launched its new collection of face masks inspired by its shows.
In a statement sent to Philstar.com today, the network announced its new venture: neoprene face masks customized with vibrant and colorful designs that match the happy vibe of the three well-loved ABS-CBN programs.
Avid "Momshies," "Madlang People," and "ASAP-Kapamilyas" can show their love for Kapamilya shows and their loved ones with the official face masks of “Magandang Buhay,” “It’s Showtime” and “ASAP Natin ‘To.”
The masks are made of washable and stretchable fabric with a pocket inside for inserts.
They won't protect you from COVID-19 but they will make you look stylish.
Christmas parties have been cancelled this year and now it looks like caroling may get the axe too.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/762883/iatf-urged-to-ban-street-caroling-amid-covid-19-pandemic/story/ |
Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba is urging the national government to ban street caroling during the Christmas season this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Raffy Tima’s report on Balitanghali on Thursday, Mamba believes banning street caroling would prevent the further spread of the virus, which has so far affected 388,137 people with 7,367 deaths.
“Because most of our carolers are here, they're not even from our place. "When they go from one house to another, we are afraid there because it might cause the upsurge of COVID cases," Mamba said.
He said the local government could issue an ordinance regarding the matter, but it would be more effective if it would come from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the government's policy-making body in the COVID -19 response.
“At least they know that there is a medical and scientific basis of what we are trying to ask because it is difficult. It’s a… tradition that is done every year, ”Mamba said.
National Task Force COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said he supports the idea and would recommend it in the next IATF meeting.
What exactly is the medical and scientific basis for banning caroling? What if they are wearing masks while caroling? How do they know it will spread COVID-19 further? They don't! Either way DILG Secretary Año recommends caroling be done online.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/763507/ano-suggests-online-caroling-during-holidays-amid-covid-19-threat/story/ |
"If there would be carolings, these can be done online. Online caroling is okay but personal and face-to-face is not because we have yet to flatten the) curve (of coronavirus disease 2019,” Año said in a radio interview.
Not everything can be done online. What will carolers do? Interrupt your Skype or Zoom session? Ridiculous!
Why should anyone trust the DOH when they get their information wrong?
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/762807/iloilo-mayor-quizzes-doh-on-covid-19-data-discrepancy/story/ |
Iloilo Mayor Jerry Treñas on Wednesday has sought clarification on the data released by the Department of Health (DOH) on the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city.
In a Facebook post, Treñas said that it was “unfair to the city” for DOH to report that Iloilo had 41 new COVID-19 cases and that it was the 5th city with the highest case count on Wednesday when it only registered two cases.
“Today we have only registered 2 cases so far while yesterday we had 9 cases. The DOH website however reports that we have 41 cases today, and the city with the 5th highest cases in the country,” Treñas said.
“I need guidance, what is happening to the data reporting of DOH. I am making this official complaint for DOH to clarify this data and where the numbers came from,” he added.
Iloilo only register 2 cases but the DOH says there was 41 and that the city has the 5th highest number of cases in the country. How did they mess up so bad?
Foreigners are allowed to enter the Philippines if they have a Filipino spouse but they must have a visa to enter. Brandishing a marriage certificate is not enough.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/11/04/2054563/airlines-told-do-not-board-travelers-philippines-without-visa |
Tan said most of the foreign nationals who were turned away are those who have Filipino spouses and children but do not have any visa. She explained: “What they have in their possession are usually their marriage certificates and the birth certificates of their children.”
The bureau said that the IATF partially lifted restrictions for foreign nationals who are working as executives in multinational companies with visas granted by either the Department of Justice or under special economic zones.
Filipinos, their spouse and minor children, foreign children with special needs of Filipinos, foreign parent of minor Filipinos, and foreign parent of Filipino children with special needs were allowed to enter the country.
But Tan stressed that those allowed to enter the country must still first secure an entry visa from Philippine embassies or consulates prior to arrival. This covers those who are eligible to enter the country as tourists.
This also includes accredited foreign government and international organization officials and their dependents, foreign airline crewmembers, foreign seafarers with 9(c) visas, and foreigners with long-term visas.
Tan said that arriving passengers will still have to undergo regular immigration inspection and present necessary documents. They will also be required to have a pre-booked quarantine facility before they arrive, she added.
Not only must visitor s have the proper visas but they must also have a pre-books quarantine facility. What is that? A hotel room? So you have to book a room and quarantine for 14 days to get into the country? That is very expensive.
The government has been banking on a vaccine to end the pandemic and has been excited about the prospect of vaccine trials in the country. However there is a problem.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/763023/doh-exec-avigan-clinical-trial-hit-a-snag-over-lack-of-qualified-covid-19-patients/story/ |
The clinical trial of the Japanese anti-flu drug Avigan in the Philippines has hit a snag due to absence of qualified COVID-19 patients classified as mild cases, the Department of Health said Friday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said only four of the 100 required COVID-19 classified as mild cases for the Avigan trial as of November 5.
“This is a tablet, to be given orally and we do it in hospital settings. This is only for mild cases, but we know that so far, there are not too many mild cases admitted in our hospitals, ”Vergeire said in an online briefing.
“And because our cases continue to drop, we no longer see patients like this [mild case] in our hospitals. That is why our clinical trial team for Avigan is having a challenge, ”she added.
Under government protocol, mild cases of COVID-19 will be treated under temporary treatment and monitoring facilities supervised by the national and local governments also as not to overwhelm the hospitals and other health care facilities needed to treating severe and critical COVID-19 cases.
Cases continue to drop and so there are not many with mild cases of COVID-19. Ironic that the Philippines reducing their number of cases means they have a lesser chance of participating in vaccine trials which they are banking on to be successful thus putting an end to the pandemic.
Dogs can sniff out cancer so why not COVID-19?
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1357541/local-k-9-team-joins-tests-if-dogs-can-sniff-out-coronavirus |
A K-9 team in the country is currently undergoing an accuracy test to determine their reliability in sniffing out the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the severe respiratory disease.
According to Ryia Tabares of Universal K9 Services Philippines, the “coronavirus sniffing dogs”—if proven to be up to the task—can reduce the need for repetitive testing especially in hospitals, malls and other areas where the transmission rate is high.
“It was borne out of a desire to help the country as well, and we hope the government can find use for this,” Tabares told the Inquirer.
She said her company started training dogs to sniff out the virus following similar projects initiated in other countries, such as Germany, Finland, the United States and the United Kingdom.
In a study released in July by the medical journal BMC Infectious Diseases, researchers found that trained dogs can distinguish who among individuals have tested positive or negative for the coronavirus.
The study said that “during the presentation of 1,012 randomized samples, the dogs achieved an overall average detection rate of 94 percent, with 157 correct indications of positive, 792 correct rejections of negative, 33 incorrect indications of negative or incorrect rejections of 30 positive sample presentations.”
This led researchers to conclude that volatile organic compounds produced during respiratory infections “can cause specific scent imprints, which can be detected by trained dogs with a high rate of precision.”
Sounds promising but how practical is it? Testing would still need to be carried out. It seems like the dogs would work well in larger cities.
Karaoke has been banned during the day so homeschoolers can study but the DOH is recommending against karaoke altogether.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/11/07/2055267/doh-warns-against-karaoke-use-singing-may-spread-covid-19 |
Karaoke machines might have to take a rest this year as the Department of Health warned against their use as singing may increase the chances of spreading the new coronavirus which causes COVID-19.
Citing a study, DOH spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said Saturday during the Laging Handa briefing that singing produces the highest viral load compared to other activities such as talking and breathing.
As such, she said, the DOH cannot recommend the karaoke sessions, unless it is among family members who do not go out of the house.
“But for mass use or for parties with friends, maybe we need to avoid these for now,” Vergeire said in Filipino.
A study conducted by researchers at Lund University in Sweden showed that singing, particularly loud and consonant-rich singing, spreads a lot of aerosol particles and droplets — the primary sources of coronavirus infections — in the air.
With bars closed karaoke has basically been banned since March.
The PNP has been telling us all that crimes have been down since the pandemic began. However online investment scams have increased.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1121016 |
The Securities and Exchange Commission-Davao Extension Office (SEC-DEO) has raised concerns over the continuing presence of investment scams that are looking for new ways to lure people on quick-rich schemes, especially amid the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the economy.In a statement Friday, SEC-DEO office pointed out that investment scams have been "doubly challenging" as the perpetrators use the Internet in recruiting unwitting individuals--many of them poor people who have borrowed money in an attempt to earn big profits in very short periods of time.SEC-DEO also found out that aside from using the traditional Ponzi and pyramiding schemes, some unscrupulous entities and individuals have also propagated new illegal investment schemes such as cryptocurrencies and the so-called foreign exchange trading.
If people are out of work and have less money then how do they have enough money to invest in scams?
