More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The PNP have been arresting quarantine violators for the past since the lockdowns began. One of their biggest busts was when they nabbed 113 people for violating protocols at a bar.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/29/20/case-vs-113-arrested-in-makati-resto-bar-raid-dismissed |
The Makati City Prosecutor's Office has dismissed the case police filed against 113 people, including locals and foreigners, who were arrested in a resto-bar raid for alleged quarantine violations in late June.
In a resolution dated October 13, Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Joel Vedan said police were not able to provide enough evidence for the respondents to be charged with violating Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Concern Act.
The fiscal sided with the resto-bar operator Felix Maramba and the customers who claimed they did not violate quarantine protocols.
He wrote that none of them were proven to be infected with a notifiable disease like COVID-19 that would be a violation of the law.
In their statements, the customers said the pictures police presented of them not physically distancing were shot when they were made to fall in line after the raid.
They also alleged police did not inform them they were being arrested then.
Fudge Tajar, lawyer for 13 of the respondents, said her clients are discussing whether to pursue administrative cases against the police officers behind the raid and the complaints filed against them.
(We don't want it to happen again and we want it to be a lesson to those who did this.)
(If they can do this to those who have a means in life, what more to those who have no work or who are having a hard time to work and are jailed, assaulted or tortured because they left their homes?)
(How about those who are not aware of their rights and do not know that their rights have been violated while they have not violated the law?)
The DOH has approved the use of a product to help combat COVID-19.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/10/30/2053338/doh-oks-use-necklace-air-purifier |
Unlike the big “smoking” air purifiers, the Department of Health (DOH) does not see any harm in the use air purifier necklaces for protection against coronavirus disease.
“Such devices do not have smoke or mist. I think it is not going to cause harm, and there is nothing wrong with using them,” Heath Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual briefing Wednesday.
The portable air purifier, worn like a necklace by many people including President Duterte, supposedly surrounds the head with clean air by emitting negative ions that push the pollutants away from an individual.
But Vergeire stressed that even a person wearing the necklace purifier should still observe the minimum health protocol as a precaution against COVID and other diseases.
Yes even Duterte is wearing a air purifier necklace.
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| https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/10/19/duterte-air-purifier.html |
Amid continued concerns about his health, President Rodrigo Duterte now wears a portable air purifier around his neck during public appearances.
Duterte was seen donning the device Friday as he welcomed Indian President Ram Nath Kovind in Malacañang. This prompted the Palace to issue a clarification.
"That is an air purifier, para [so] he will be protected from persons within his proximity who have coughs and colds," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
According to the AirTamer's website, its personal air purifier, similar to the one used by Duterte, removes airborne pollutants – including viruses, bacteria, and dust – from the user's personal space. It can be purchased online for around P7,000. The President has been spotted wearing it in a number of occasions this week.
It seems a rather dubious claim that this thing can combat COVID-19 and in fact the FDA issued a warning against these kind of products and claims back in May.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/14/20/virus-shut-out-lanyard-necklace-not-effective-illegal-not-registered-says-food-and-drug-administration |
“These are not registered with FDA and there is no evidence to show that they can prevent COVID-19,” FDA Director General Eric Domingo told ABS-CBN News.
“People should not rely on them to prevent infection,” he added.
People who sell unregistered products face penalties under the Republic Act 9711 or the FDA Act.
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| https://twitter.com/kristinesabillo/status/1322133460417355777 |
The DOH clarifies that it is NOT ENDORSING the use of necklace air purifiers that claim to kill bacteria or viruses or protect from COVID-19.
While these devices do not pose any harm, the DOH currently does not recommend using these devices due to lack of evidence of efficacy.
It's a rather confusing clarification. Are they saying that air purifiers with claims that they can kill viruses and bacteria are not recommend but others are OK to use or are they now saying that all air purifier necklaces are not recommended. Funny they recommend wearing masks which many studies prove do not help at all in stopping the spread of COVID-19. See this link for more info: https://cv19.fr/eng/english/
“Based on the interview of some Covid-19 patients, they revealed that they have exposure during their drinking sessions. Self-regulation is non-existent in drinking sessions,” she said in a radio interview on Friday. This is to prevent people from close contact gatherings, especially if their reason is to drink."“It has been observed from patient interviews that selling, serving, and consumption of liquors and other similar intoxicating drinks encourage close contact gatherings, thereby defeating the objective of the community quarantine,” Mayor Sara's executive order said.According to the directive, no liquor and any other alcoholic or intoxicating drinks "shall be sold, served, or consumed in public 24 hours of the day effective 5 a.m. of November 2, 2020".“Why November 2? This is to give time to the businessmen to have their inventory,” Mayor Sara explained, even as she warned the city government would impose the "one-strike" rule against violators.
That is a lot of money and fun that will never be recovered. Aside from denying anyone the right to have a beer or two Mayor Duterte has also ordered all churches to be hot and unbearable in the name of stopping the spread of COVID-19.
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| https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1875277/Davao/Local-News/Mayor-tells-churches-Turn-off-fans-aircons |
ALL electric fans and air conditioners in places of worship in Davao City must be turned off as much as possible to prevent Covid-19 transmission in these places, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said.
Duterte-Carpio said this is in accordance to her recently issued Executive Order 57-A, which regulates mass gatherings and prohibiting non-essential travels within the city.
Section 9 of EO 57-A amends the provision on the city's places of worship.
According to Section 9 (d) of the EO, "Electric fans must not be used and aircons must be turned off whenever applicable."
The mayor said medical officials recommended adequate ventilation in enclosed spaces, including churches and other religious venues.
"There is a church here that called their attention to the doctor because they opened an electric fan. It can also fly in the air once there is an infection inside. We made it clear that the electric fan and aircon should have turned off and open the windows, "she said.
As cane expected the WHO disagrees and says the air conditioning can actually reduce the spread of the virus.
Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are used to maintain indoor air temperature and humidity at healthy and comfortable levels. A well-maintained and operated system can reduce the spread of COVID-19 in indoor spaces by increasing the rate of air change, reducing recirculation of air and increasing the use of outdoor air. Recirculation modes (which recirculate the air) should not be used. HVAC systems should be regularly inspected, maintained, and cleaned.
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-ventilation-and-air-conditioning-and-covid-19
It's not as if any of these draconian regulations are based on real science anyway.
Face masks are required in public throughout the country while face shields are mandatory only in certain locations but not in public absolutely. N. Samar has changed that.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120324 |
Northern Samar’s provincial government will strictly require the use of face masks and shields in public places and private establishments starting Sunday.
Governor Edwin Marino Ongchuan signed Executive Order (EO) 10-01 last October 23, imposing the mandatory wearing of personal protective gear to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
"Confirmed cases in the province continue to significantly rise despite our relentless and rigorous efforts in cooperation with other government and non-government entities. In order to prevent the spread of the virus, it is imperative for the provincial government to adopt more stringent minimum public health standards." Ongchuan said in the EO.
The province has recorded a total of 661 cases, some 224 of which have recovered and six have died, according to the provincial health office.
Of the total, 48 are new cases – 12 in Mondragon town, seven each in San Roque and Bobon, six in Pambujan, five in Catarman, three each in Las Navas and Lavezares, two in San Jose, and one each in San Antonio, Lope de Vega, and Palapag.
They were part of the 830 swab results from the two testing laboratories here that were released Friday night.
With investigation showing that new patients caught the disease from gatherings, the provincial government urged the public to strictly avoid organizing or attending parties, illegal cockfights or "tupada", drinking sprees, and wakes, among others, to break the chain of transmission.
661 cases of which 6 have died, 224 have recovered, and the rest remain active. Does the government not read their own statistics which tell them this disease is not as deadly as they claim?
The PNP is giving away bicycles to help those affected by the pandemic.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120243 |
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday gave an initial 50 bicycles to commuting Filipino workers to help them cope with the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on their livelihood.
PNP Chief, Gen. Camilo Cascolan, led the turnover of the bicycles during the launch of the police force's “PADYAKabuhayan” program in Camp Crame.
Cascolan said the bicycles would be given to the working masses to provide them with an alternative means of transportation as they go to work and help them save money for their families’ food and other necessities.
He said “PADYAKabuhayan” likewise demonstrates the compassionate heart of the police towards Filipino workers already suffering from the economic impact of the lockdown.
No word on how to qualify for this program.
There is no vaccine yet but the Philippines now has a vaccine czar in place for that eventuality.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/11/03/2054306/malacaang-defends-appointment-ex-general-galvez-vaccine-czar |
Malacañang defended Tuesday President Rodrigo Duterte’s appointment of presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez, the former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as coronavirus vaccine czar amid criticism that someone with a medical background should have been chosen instead.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the distribution of the vaccines is more of a logistical problem than a medical one, stressing that the testing and approval of the vaccine would still be handled by medical experts.
“The vaccine operation will entail logistics. We really need someone who has managerial skills and is accustomed to these management processes,” Roque said partly in Filipino during his regular press briefing.
Galvez said that as coronavirus vaccine czar, he will be a “milestone keeper,” “integrator” and “synchronizer” of all agencies involved in the distribution of the vaccine.
Getting the vaccine out to far-flung and remote areas is going to take more than just logistics. It will take proper infrastructure as well as cold storage facilities, mobile cold storage facilities, which the Philippines does not currently possess.
COVID-19 cases in the Philippines have seen a downward trend and the Palace attributes some of this to the fact that the Philippine Red Cross suspended testing for a while because they were not paid by PhilHealth.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120716 |
Malacañang on Wednesday admitted that the decision of Philippine Red Cross to temporarily halt its coronavirus disease (Covid-19) testing somehow contributed to a decrease in daily Covid-19 cases.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, however, also attributed the lower daily Covid-19 cases to Filipinos’ compliance with the minimum health and safety standards.
“Well, I’m sure somehow the acts or the action of PRC in stopping their testing, somehow contributed, because less testing of course means less numbers. But I think by and large, people have been compliant with minimum health standards and of course,” he said in an interview over CNN Philippines’ The Source.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), the country saw a 25-percent decrease in new Covid-19 cases last month from an average number of 2,517 to 1,887.
Last month, the PRC temporarily stopped its Covid-19 tests for the government after the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) failed to settle its outstanding balance of PHP930.99 million.
"Somehow." What a genius. Just goes to show that PhiHealth should pay their bills.
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