More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
Barbie has come along way since her debut decades ago. These days she's more of a cultural and political statement than an actual toy.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/hobbiesandactivities/799073/fil-am-doctor-gets-own-barbie-doll-for-her-work-against-covid-19/story/ |
It’s not every day that you get a Barbie doll designed to look exactly just like you, but for Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz, it has become a dream come true.
Cruz is one of the frontline workers honored by the fashion doll brand for “their life-saving accomplishments during the pandemic.”
As part of their #ThankYouHeroes program, Barbie released a collection of dolls to pay tribute to six frontline workers from around the world who “continue to rise up to serve their communities in this time of need and are inspiring current and future generations to follow their lead.”
On its Instagram stories, Barbie said it chose Cruz as a role model because she “treated COVID-19 patients and joined forces with other Asian-American physicians to fight racial bias and discrimination during the pandemic.”
The Fil-Am doctor, meanwhile, said she was honored that she’s “been made into a Barbie doll.”
“With this honor, I hope to shine a light on the commitment and compassion all frontline workers exhibited over the past year and a half and every single day,” said Cruz, a physician at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California.
“I hope to represent minorities in America and encourage cultural advocacy. I hope to represent working moms who are balancing their careers while raising a family,” she added.
“I hope to show all young women that they can be ANYTHING they want to be—even a physician mom and engineering grad like this girl.”
“You matter,” she said. “You can follow your dreams. You can make a difference.”
One might scoff because it's just a Barbie doll but it's more than that. It's a weapon in the culture war.
The PNP said they would go after those who peddle fake news about the pandemic. So far 52 raps have been filed.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1472595/80-people-charged-for-pandemic-related-offenses-including-52-for-spreading-fake-news |
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said they have charged a total of 80 persons in court for pandemic-related offenses, including 52 for “spreading fake news” about COVID-19 on the internet.
Police chief Guillermo Eleazar said that from March 9 to August 9 this year, a total of 121 charges were filed against 80 people — 52 were charged for spreading fake news, two for online scams, and 26 for for online profiteering, overpricing, hoarding and unauthorized selling of medical supplies.
“A total of 87 criminal complaints have been filed in court, while 52 individuals were charged for purveying fake news and unverified information on social media amid the public health emergency,” Eleazar said in a statement.
It would be interesting to know exactly what the nature of the "fake news and unverified information" they were spreading on social media. Some "fake news," like the origin of the virus being a Chinese laboratory and the ineffectiveness of the vaccine and face shields, are actually true.
One of the worst pieces of fake news is that all vaccines are equally effective. The DOH and others have been spreading this lie for months.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/12/21/unvaccinated-individuals-waiting-for-certain-brands |
A health expert on Thursday lamented that many individuals remain unvaccinated because they are waiting for specific brands of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, reiterated the advisory to the public to get any anti-virus jab as soon as it is available to them.
(Many of those unvaccinated are waiting for a particular brand. We need to remind them that whatever brand of vaccine is good because at least, they have protection.)
This person is lying. There are documented studies that show that not all the "vaccines" are the same. And they are not protected because they can still contract and spread the virus. There is a lot of double talk from the DOH on this issue.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/08/12/2119495/strike-2-after-touting-ivermectin-doctor-hit-false-info-covid-19-jabs |
The Department of Health on Thursday called out a medical doctor for spreading false information about COVID-19 vaccines, and chided news outlets giving platform to these individuals.
Health officials scolded Dr. Romeo Quijano after he claimed on dZRH that the jabs are "more dangerous" than the virus itself.
"It is especially irresponsible as the country continues to face the threat of the more infectious Delta variant," the agency said in a statement.
The DOH cited growing evidence across the globe that COVID-19 vaccines have significantly reduced hospitalizations and deaths among those who were inoculated.
"Moreover, despite increases in COVID-19 cases in these countries, the same rate of increase is not seen in hospitalizations and deaths," it added.
COVID-19 cases are going up despite the "vaccines." That is because the vaccines do not protect anyone from contracting the virus. It is highly irresponsible for the DOH to tell the public otherwise or to treat the virus as if it were the bubonic plague. As of now less than 1% of the population has died from COVID-19.
Two fully vaccinated people in QC didn't think two shots was enough.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1473402/2-persons-fully-vaccinated-with-sinovac-to-face-charges-for-getting-3rd-dose-in-qc |
Two individuals who are fully vaccinated with Sinovac’s anti-COVID-19 vaccine are set to face charges from the Quezon City local government unit (LGU) after allegedly getting a third dose for a booster shot.
The Quezon City government on Friday released reports showing that one of the two individuals already got the two doses in Mandaluyong city, and was registered again in Quezon City’s vaccination program through a company masterlist, to get a different vaccine brand.
It was confirmed that this individual got the second dose of the Sinovac vaccine in Mandaluyong on May 10, and then got another Moderna shot in Quezon City this week.
“While the social media posts of this individual have since been deleted, his posts have been forwarded to the city government,” the Quezon City LGU said.
The second person also got two doses of Sinovac’s vaccine in Quezon City, and then bragged about getting another dose within the same city — this time from United States pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
“Another individual received two doses of Sinovac at one of the city’s vaccination centers, then bragged of receiving a third dose of Pfizer. It was not disclosed whether the third jab was administered at another vaccine center or the same one where the first two were dispensed,” the city added.
This is why you do not post illegal activity on Facebook. In fact don't post anything personal at all. This likely won't happen again once the digital vaccination certificate is implemented.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/08/15/2120036/digital-vaccination-certificates-be-issued-next-month |
The issuance of COVID-19 vaccination certificates is expected to start next month, the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) said yesterday.
At a public briefing yesterday, BOQ deputy director Roberto Salvador Jr. noted the government is now speeding up the system for the launch of digital vaccination certificates. The target is to start the issuance in September.
“We are part of the Technical Working Group that is working on this digital vaccination card, with the DICT in the lead,” he said, referring to the Department of Information and Communication Technology.
Salvador added it would be the Department of Foreign Affairs that would coordinate with other countries so that the “official vaccination certificates” would be recognized internationally.
Under the program, local government units will have to upload the names of individuals who completed their COVID-19 jabs on the vaccination information system
Going off past performance they will mess it up greatly at first but eventually work out the kinks. Hopefully they work them out quickly.
Cebu City has seen a rise in infections of the very survivable COVID-19 virus. Their response is very disproportionate.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/394476/700-cops-military-men-to-be-deployed-on-cebu-city-streets-starting-monday |
Do not be surprised if you see uniformed cops and military men roaming Cebu City streets starting at midnight on Monday, August 16.
Their task is to ensure compliance with health protocols while the city remains under Modified Enhance Community Quarantine until the end of the month.
(The number of personnel that we will deploy will be determined based on the number of infections in the barangay. [Police] stations with the most number of positive cases in barangays [that are located within its jurisdiction] will also be provide with the most number of police personnel.)
Some of these personnel will be assigned to man border control checkpoints while others will be tasked to conduct random inspection of Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) that are plying routes within their respective areas to ensure compliance with health protocols especially on the number of authorized passengers.
Parilla expressed confidence that the deployment of more uniformed cops and military men will result in a drop in active cases in the city in the coming days.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1474229/handy-air-purifiers-offer-false-sense-of-security-vs-covid-19-doh |
Handy air purifiers worn around the neck cannot provide protection against COVID-19 and will only provide a false sense of security, the Department of Health (DOH) stressed Monday.
DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire made the remark amid a requirement for drivers and conductors of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in Cebu to don the said gadget.
“The DOH does not recommend these air purifiers, itong mga necklace na purifiers. Sinabi na natin dati yan na wala yang ebidensya,” Vergeire said in a press briefing.
Vergeire underscored that while wearing air purifiers cannot harm a person, it also does not provide protection against COVID-19.
(While it is not harmful, it does not provide protection against COVID-19.)
(It will give a false sense of security which may lead to complacency and cause more infections.)
Experts have also recommended against the use of air purifiers as protection against COVID-19, said Vergeire.
(We do not recommend the use if necklace air purifiers because based on evidence and experts, it does not provide protection.)
“Sana po hindi na lang natin ito gamitin (Let’s just not use it.),” she added.
The same thing could and should be said about face masks and face shields but they won't tell us that truth. Instead people are lulled into a false sense of security thinking those worthless things will protect them. However, the governor of Cebu is insistent that drivers wear an air purifier.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/395019/gwen-clarifies-defends-air-purifier-requirement |
Despite criticisms and public backlash, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will keep the mandatory use of wearable air purifiers among drivers and conductors of public utility vehicles (PUVs).
But Garcia, during one of her regular press conferences on Tuesday, August 17, clarified that the order will only cover those who operate buses, mini-buses, and modern jeepneys.
Garcia also said the requirement served as an ‘enhancement’, and not to ‘set aside existing health protocols mandated way back a year and a half ago.’
“It was very, very clear that this would be as an added protection on top of the minimum health protocols that have been established, which we have been repeating since the start of this pandemic,” said Garcia.
As a result, she decided to move the implementation of the memorandum directing the mandatory use of wearable purifiers to August 25 so operators, drivers, and conductors have more time to acquire them.
On the other hand, Garcia defended the use of air purifiers by saying out that these do not cause harm to the wearers and will add protection.
She cited several studies such as one titled Negative Air Ions and Their Effects on Human Health and Air Quality Improvement published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in 2018 by Shu-Ye Jiang, Ali Ma, and Srinivasan Ramachandran
Garcia also pointed out to several national government officials as examples, such as President Rodrigo Duterte, who wear air purifiers in public, and asked the Department of Health (DOH) whether or not using air purifiers against COVID-19 is harmful.
“What is it really? Do you (DOH) have nothing agianst the use of necklace air purifiers? Or you have a stand against necklace air purifiers? I appreciate Usec. Vergeire’s (Health Usec. Ma. Rosario Vergeire) statement saying ‘hindi po ito nakaka-cause nang harm sa tao’,” explained Garcia.
In the meantime, Garcia announced the Capitol will be providing free supplementary vitamins to all drivers and conductors if it meant adding more protection against COVID-19.
