Coronavirus Lockdown: Fatty Liver, Child Beggars, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

Cebu province's governor Gwendolyn Garcia's EO limiting the use of face masks has caused quite a shock to the nation. The DOJ, DOH, DILG, and PNP all proclaimed that the order is null and void but now the DOJ is asking for a compromise.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1611502/doj-chief-suggests-compromise-on-face-mask-dispute

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra offered a suggestion on Wednesday to end the standoff between the Cebu provincial government and the Cabinet-led Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) over contradicting face mask policies.

According to him, Cebu officials can just ask the IATF for permission to do a pilot test of the optional wearing of face masks outdoors to see if it would lead to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Guevarra made the proposal during an online media forum even as he stressed the national government’s authority to ensure that local governments observe national policies aimed at fighting COVID-19.

Even if the Cebu provincial government has issued an ordinance on the optional wearing of face masks when outdoors, “it is still not consistent with the national rule or policy on the mandatory wearing of face masks. So, to that extent, the acts of the provincial government of Cebu are ultra vires (beyond its powers),” he told reporters.

“What [Cebu] Gov. Gwen [Garcia] or any local government official who feels they can remove masks in their [local government] should do is to go to the IATF and say, ‘Maybe it’s time to modify the existing rule,’” Guevarra said.

He added that IATF members, mostly Cabinet secretaries, were “very reasonable” and “can easily adjust if there is scientific basis to take a particular action.”

“Just go to the IATF and make a proposal and that’s it. We can pilot test in Cebu,” he said.

“The IATF at the next meeting may probably consider that suggestion to test in Cebu. If there is no upsurge in cases even if face mask is optional, maybe it’s a good time to change the rule on mandatory wearing of face mask,” Guevarra said.

It is highly unlikely that the IATF would permit such a test. It is also highly unlikely that LGU's would be given the power to determine face mask usage as a presidential adviser has advised.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1611592/let-lgus-decide-on-outdoor-mask-rule-concepcion

Local government units (LGUs) should be allowed to decide whether or not to enforce the use of face masks outdoors, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said.

Concepcion made the statement after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Cebu provincial government clashed over the latter’s decision to make face masks optional in open and well-ventilated spaces.

“To me, I believe a mask mandate outdoors is not necessary, I think we should give it to our LGUs to make that decision,” Concepcion said in an interview over One News’ The Chiefs Wednesday night.

He reiterated that masking outdoors should be made optional.

“Let’s just encourage masks outdoors, let’s not mandate the use of masks outdoors because we know that Omicron is a variant that is quite mild when you get sick and hospitalization are not even there yet and we’re focusing too much on the number of people getting infected daily,” he said.

“It’s like we’re in a microscope and being so paranoid if infection [does] go up and we know very clearly, once you do get Omicron, once you get vaccinated or not, you can still get Omicron, vaccination does not prevent you from getting Omicron at all, what it prevents you is severe infection and death,” he went on.

That is a very reasonable statement which is exactly why no one will listen. The DILG is going to make sure all LGUs toe the line.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1611630/dilg-taps-legal-team-to-ensure-lgus-toe-national-govt-line-on-face-masks

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is consulting with its legal team in a bid to keep local government units (LGUs) from defying national policies, including the matter of using face masks outdoors.

(We are consulting our legal team for our next move to ensure that this practice will stop.)

(That’s the number one position of the national government and we will implement that. The police will continue to confront—and if necessary, arrest those who are hard-headed, the Philippine National Police will do that.)

Año further stressed that the pandemic “is not yet over,” saying the country is still under a state of calamity, thus the cooperation of local government are imperative.

“Ang pinakaimportante dito, yung kalusugan ng ating mga kababayan. We are still under the state of calamity based [Executive Order No.] 1218,” he added, noting that the declaration of the state of calamity due to COVID-19 remains in effect until September 2022.

While the national and local governments clash over face mask rules the private sector is getting back on its feet.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/447561/local-airlines-spreading-their-wings-more-as-pandemic-wanes

Local airlines have been ramping up flights to other countries to address increasing demand for air mobility as international travel returns.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) will resume its Manila-Bali, Indonesia route by July 1, flying thrice weekly. The flag carrier will add two weekly flights by Aug. 1 and another two by Oct. 4. In the latter part of the year, PAL will have a total of seven weekly flights to Bali. “We are excited to be able to fly leisure and business travelers to Bali, one of the world’s most spectacular and beloved destinations,” PAL vice president for sales Bud Britanico said.

By July 2, Cebu Pacific will offer a total of 10 flights from Manila to Dubai every week. “This is a chance for every Juan to experience a bit of what Dubai has to offer – from its megastructures, shopping, food and cultural heritage. With the easing of travel protocols in and out of the country, travelers also need not worry about hassles when coming back to the Philippines,” said Xander Lao, chief commercial officer of the Gokongwei-led budget carrier.

Meanwhile, AirAsia Philippines resumed flights to Seoul on Tuesday after recently relaunching routes to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia and Hong Kong. “In 2022, we are aggressive in growing our flight frequency and route network,” said Steve Dailisan, the airline’s spokesperson and head of communications and public affairs.

Anticipating full restoration of operations by the end of this year, he said that AirAsia has already attained 80 percent of its prepandemic flight capacity as of the second quarter.

“With additional flights, we expect tremendous growth in our ancillary businesses like baggage, meals, and even hot seats. The situation is truly looking up for all lines of businesses in aviation this year,” Dailisan added.

The recent easing of mobility restrictions, along with the reopening of borders, has helped in boosting passenger traffic recently.

But with rising fuel costs and inflation can they make new gains and recoup a profit?

Remember how everyone was locked down, not allowed out, and was forced to order fast food basically? It turns out that was not a healthy idea at all.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1612052/silent-epidemic-risk-of-fatty-liver-disease-rising-among-pinoys

Gastroenterology and hepatology experts have raised a “growing concern” over the increased risk of fatty liver disease among Filipinos who gained weight and developed unhealthy habits due to quarantine restrictions in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 10 percent to 20 percent of Filipinos have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), dubbed the “silent epidemic” afflicting millions globally, Philippine College of Physicians president Dr. Diana Alcantara Payawal said 

“This is a growing concern,” she said. “There were a lot of things that we needed to address [even] before the pandemic. The WHO (World Health Organization) had already earmarked projects for noncommunicable diseases. In fact, most of the strategies were aimed at noncommunicable diseases. But during the pandemic, these were sidelined.” The limitations during the pandemic “definitely” affected clinical diagnosis and detection, Payawal said, citing the current crop of patients with uncontrolled metabolic disorders, such as liver diseases and cancer as well as diabetes and colon diseases.

What more proof do we need that the lockdowns were not about public health? It's always been about government control. Had it been about health the lockdowns would never have happened. Or at least the government would have encouraged healthy behaviors aside from diving the public to constantly be washing their hands.

Lifting of COVID-19 restrctions in Cebu means more child beggars on the streets.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1932339/cebu/local-news/cebu-city-police-to-round-up-child-beggars-anew

THE police have noticed that streetchildren are starting to go back to the streets to ask for alms from passengers and passersby after major restrictions against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have been removed.

Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy city director for administration of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said they will again be rounding up the minors, in coordination with the City Social Welfare Services (CSWS) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD).

Parilla said the rescued children will be turned over to the CSWS or DSWD-Central Visayas as they have no shelter facility for them.

The CCPO had already advised the street dwellers, including those living underneath the bridge, to go back to their respective hometowns, but when the Covid-19 restriction eased, they started returning to the city, where they prefer to stay to earn a living.

Parilla said allowing child beggars in the streets exposes them to risks of getting hit by cars or contracting the Covid-19 virus. 

Of course with the easing of restrictions comes an increase in cases. The DOH says the Philippines is hitting a peak but it is not yet a surge.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1613653/doh-another-peak-in-covid-cases-starting

The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said the country was seeing the start of another “peak” in COVID-19 cases and urged the public to observe health protocols, including isolating when experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Detected infections rose by 82 percent to 436 daily average new cases last week—the highest in about two months—from 240 the previous week, according to the DOH.

“Right now what we’re seeing is that the number of cases is continuously increasing, especially here in the National Capital Region (NCR) and we can see that this is really the start of the peak in the number of cases,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a television interview on Monday.

“We are again guiding the public and making them aware that this might be the start when cases will continuously increase in the next couple of weeks,” she added.

Vergeire refused to refer to the increasing cases as a “surge,” saying the term “has caused a lot of confusion among the public.”

A rise in cases but not a surge because the term has "causes a lot of confusion among the public." And whose fault is that DOH? The public continues to be served mixed messages of be a surge is coming be afraid and it's inevitable so don't worry. Here's the latest mixed message from PCOO Secretary Anadar.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/06/22/palace-uptick-of-covid-19-cases-bound-to-happen-as-economy-reopens/

Malacañang considers normal the increase in Covid-19 cases in the country because people are now allowed to go outside as efforts to revive the economy continue.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar cited this after the Department of Health (DOH) said that the number of coronavirus cases in the country has started to peak anew.

In an interview with reporters, Andanar, however, said that while the uptick is normal, everyone has to be careful not to let a surge of cases happen.

“It’s not a cause for another surge. Pero kailangan tayong mag-ingat talaga kasi it’s not only in the Philippines. Meron din sa ibang bansa (But we have to be careful because it’s not only in the Philippines. It’s happening in other countries as well),” he said.

“It’s bound to happen, kasi nagbukas na nga iyong ekonomiya, eh. Mahirap naman na puro tayo lockdown (because we’re opening the economy. We can’t just continue doing lockdowns),” he added.

The press secretary, instead, reminded the public to continue following health protocols to protect themselves from the disease.

“Wear your masks, [practice] social distancing, [and] wash your hands,” he said.

“Now, it’s inevitable to be in crowded areas because the economy is open. You just really have to be careful, drink your vitamins, eat healthily, don’t stay up late, and sleep long,” he added.

"Drink your vitamins, eat healthily, don’t stay up late." Fine advice coming now. Of course if you do not know COVID-19 can be deadly in already sick people especially obese people yet the government hasn't exactly been mindful about the people's health.

The pandemic has caused people to get innovative.  Here is a neat new invention.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1614278/pup-thesis-leads-to-project-offering-help-vs-covid

Mechanical engineering students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) have designed an ultraviolet disinfection conveyor to contain the new coronavirus and sterilize documents.

This device was the result of a thesis that the students were working on after they saw how fast ultraviolet rays could disinfect objects — for as short as eight seconds.

Soon enough their dissertation led to a P100,000 project that the university approved to develop the machines.

In February 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended the use of ultraviolet-C (UVC) lamps in disinfecting surfaces in homes, saying that UVC radiation was effective in reducing the spread of bacteria.

“UVC radiation has [also] been shown to destroy the outer protein coating of the SARS-coronavirus, which is a different virus from the current SARS-CoV-2 virus. The destruction ultimately leads to inactivation of the virus,” the agency said.

“[But it] may also be effective in inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the virus that causes COVID-19,” the US FDA added.

According to Gino Andres, project head and director of PUP’s Intellectual Property Management Office (Ipmo), the conveyors will be sent to offices that use up large quantities of paper.

“We plan to distribute the machines to crowded areas [in the university], like the accounting office, registrar’s office and those… that are receiving a lot of documents,” he said.

An ultralight disinfection conveyor. Seems like a rather simple device to invent. But is it really still necessary? Will it actually prevent the spread of COVID-19? Well, we see how effective face masks and rubbing alcohol have been in stopping the spread of COVID-19.