More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The solution to the unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is to create new jobs.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1327575/displaced-welder-uses-p5000-cash-aid-from-makati-govt-to-open-food-cart-business |
Using the cash assistance he got from the Makati City government, a 42-year-old welder — one of the many who lost their jobs due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) — built a cart and started selling street food.
According to Mario Lutang, a resident of Barangay Valenzuela, he has been earning around P500 to P600 a day since he started selling fish balls, “kikiam,” hotdogs, squid balls and juice drinks on July 15.
He said he took on different jobs when he was laid off from work in March after Metro Manila was placed on lockdown.
In May, the Makati City government launched its Makatulong 5K economic relief program to help residents affected by COVID-19. Lutang and his wife, Veronica, were among the 500,000 beneficiaries who received P5,000 each.
As long as the city does not lockdown under ECQ again he should continue making money. But isn't the very nature of a street food cart antithetical to the strict sanitary protocols the city is attempting to enforce?To ensure a regular source of income for his family, Lutang decided to invest his share in a food cart which he built with his own hands. He then borrowed P1,000 from his wife to buy the street food they would sell to customers.
COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Experts at the UP are predicting 375,000 total cases by mid-September.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/753279/up-experts-new-projection-330k-to-375k-covid-19-cases-by-sept-30/story/ |
The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippine may rise to up to 375,000 by the end of September, according to the newest projection made by experts from the University of the Philippines.
In their August 27 forecast report, the UP-OCTA research team said the projected total number of cases is 330,000 for a "lower" estimate, 350,000 for "median," and 375,000 for "upper."
The researchers reported that the reproduction number of COVID-19 and the number of new cases per day have both decreased near the end of August.
The reproduction number, which indicates the average number of people who may contract COVID-19 from an infected person, is at 1.03 from August 20 to 26.
The researchers have said the ideal reproduction number is less than one, in which each existing infection causes less than one new infection and means "the disease will decline and eventually die out."
They also observed that the average number of daily new cases is 4,073 from August 19 to 25, lower than 4,300 in the previous week.
This trend is also true for the National Capital Region, where there was a "surge" last July, according to the researchers.
The research team said the number of daily new cases is at 2,192 from August 21 to 27, down from 2,684 in the previous week. The reproduction number has fallen below one at 0.95.
The positivity rate has also decreased from 16% to 14% in the last two weeks.
Even though this downward trend is slowly picking up the battle against COVID-19 is far from over.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/28/2038389/battle-vs-covid-19-not-over-despite-flattening-curve |
The coronavirus disease pandemic is far from over even with the apparent “flattening of the curve” of new cases in the country, an expert from the University of the Philippines said.
In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News/TV5 on Wednesday, mathematics professor Guido David urged the public to maintain the momentum to prevent a resurgence of cases.
“The truth is we’re already seeing the flattening, but we were just being a bit more conservative (when we said that we will see it) by the end of the month,” said David, a member of the OCTA Research team that regularly releases projections on the pandemic.
“I have to caution our viewers that flattening does not mean that the pandemic is over. It’s just the start of the recovery period,” he stressed.
"Just the start of the recovery period." Men with guns all still be needed to continue the battle.
Where did COVID-19 originate? How did it make its way to the Philippines. Some say China. Others say no. The DOH says its too early to tell.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1327604/doh-too-early-to-say-chinese-tourists-source-of-virus-in-ph |
While an analysis of the circulating strains of the coronavirus in the Philippines showed that their makeup differed from that contracted by the three Chinese tourists who visited the country early this year, the Department of Health (DOH) stressed on Wednesday that it was still too early to conclude that they did not help spread the infection that has already sickened more than 200,000 Filipinos.
“Although [the] RITM initially showed the gene sequence of the three Chinese tourists were different from the rest of the population that they have studied, again let us try to be cautious in interpreting. We need more details, we need more data,” Vergeire told reporters in her regular online briefing.
“We need to further study so that we can accurately say that the Chinese [tourists] weren’t the ones who spread [the virus] and that we had other sources of our infection,” she added.
So the RITM sequenced the strain of the virus in the country and compared it with the strain contracted by three Chinese tourists who visited the country earlier in the year. The sequences are different ergo COVID-19 did not spread in the Philippines from China. But the DOH says the sample size is too small and way more data is needed to make a definitive pronouncement on the matter.
DOH Secretary Duque has ruled out any possibility of more strict lockdowns.
DOH Secretary Duque has ruled out any possibility of more strict lockdowns.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/30/2038850/new-lockdowns-irreversibly-injure-economy |
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III yesterday ruled out placing the National Capital Region (NCR) again under stricter lockdown despite the continuing rise in cases of COVID-19, saying doing so would irreparably damage the economy.
“We can no longer afford to revert to higher quarantine status of MECQ or ECQ because that will irreversibly injure if not damage the economy beyond repair,” Duque said. MECQ or modified enhanced community quarantine is a relaxed ECQ.
Instead of lockdown, Duque stressed the importance of stricter implementation of contact tracing and other measures to prevent further transmission of the virus.
With 47% of adults reporting that they have lost their jobs it would seem the economy is already irreversibly injured. Certainly nothing will be the same for a long time to come.
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| https://business.inquirer.net/306054/pandemic-woes-continue-to-push-hot-money-out-of-ph |
Short term investments in local financial markets continued to leave the Philippines in July as investors repatriated their assets due to the economic uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest data from the central bank.
As of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) latest figures, more of these so-called hot money investments left the country than entered it in the first seven months of 2020.
Central bank-registered foreign portfolio investment transactions from January to July 2020 yielded net outflows of $3.8 billion resulting from the $10.2-billion gross outflows and $6.4-billion gross inflows for the said period.
“This was larger compared to the $706-million net outflows noted for the same period last year brought about by uncertainties due, among others, to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the global economy and financial system, and other key events earlier in the year such as the geopolitical and trade tensions, and corporate governance issues involving the water concessionaires,” the BSP said.
Meanwhile, year-to-date transactions for all investments—Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE)-listed securities, peso-denominated government securities and other investments—resulted in net outflows.
For July 2020 alone, BSP-registered foreign portfolio investments yielded net outflows of $453 million resulting from the $1.2-billion gross outflows and $719-million gross inflows for the month.
This was larger than the recorded net outflows of $235 million in June.
The outflow of hot money is a trend that has been happening for some time. It seems the pandemic has caused even more money to leave the country.
The DOH releases their latest statistics every Sunday.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/30/2038897/doh-mass-recovery-adds-22000-recoveries-caseload-breaches-217000 |
For its latest tally update Sunday, the Department of Health added 4,284 new coronavirus cases and 22,319 new recoveries on the 166th day since the first implementation of enhanced community quarantine.
There are 56,473 patients who are still infected with the coronavirus when factoring in the 3,520 total deaths and 157,403 total recoveries after 102 additional deaths were added in the department's latest case bulletin.
As of now the test for COVID-19 consists of sticking a swab way up your nasal cavity. By all accounts it is rather uncomfortable.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1328809/saliva-based-tests-for-virus-eyed |
The Department of Health (DOH) is looking into whether saliva-based tests can be an “acceptable and feasible” method to detect new coronavirus infections.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that studies were still ongoing to determine if the country could supplement its current testing efforts by using saliva-based tests for COVID-19.
Vergeire said the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) was conducting the studies.
Currently, samples are collected using nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs, which are “really inconvenient for a person” as a stick is inserted through a person’s nose or throat.
Vergeire noted that sample collection would be much easier for saliva-based tests since the health worker needed only to rub a sponge on the sides of a patient’s mouth.
The disadvantage, however, is that current studies on this collection method show that the samples obtained from patients may be contaminated.
“Some articles are saying that there are always food particles so it contaminates the specimen. Second, to get accurate results you should collect a lot [of saliva]. So you should correctly rub the sides of a person’s mouth to get enough yield,” Vergeire said
“As soon as RITM gets initial results, we’ll share it with everybody because this is something worth pursuing if it could really help and we see that it is acceptable and feasible for our testing strategy,” she added
Just have people wash their mouth out with water before taking the test to wash away all the contaminates.
There is no treatment or cure for COVID-19 as of yet but doctors continue to search.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1328807/200-volunteers-join-lagundi-trials |
Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said the trials would involve about 200 volunteers in the quarantine centers of the Quezon Institute, Philippine National Police, both in Quezon City, and Sta. Ana Hospital in Manila. The trial will be conducted by the Philippine General Hospital.
Dela Peña announced the start of the study after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved last week the clinical trials for lagundi as a treatment for COVID-19.
“Our goal is to address symptoms, such as cough, fever and sore throat. because it is important if our patients who are mild cases would get relief from these symptoms,” he said at the government’s Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.
Hopefully the trials yield positive results.
The BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) has joined the battle against COVID-19.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113802 |
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Fire Department is responding to fight an unseen global disaster that already took millions of lives around the world.
It is a fight in a different scenario with the use of neither fire trucks nor powerful water nozzles.
They respond with handy sprayers filled with solutions to decontaminate and disinfect facilities to help stop the spread of the unseen pandemic disaster, the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
"The action is all part of the contingency plan of the Fire Department. We need to be proactive, it’s the way risk managers should think,” SBMA Fire Department chief Ranny Magno said in an interview Friday.
For disinfectant and decontaminant solutions, the firefighters use chlorine granules mixed with clean water, an ingenuity done three months before the Department of Health (DOH) officially endorsed chlorine solution as an effective disinfectant against Covid-19.
When all preparations were completed, the project commenced on March 14 with SBMA Pass and ID Building the first facility disinfected.
From that day on until June 30, the SBMA Fire Department had conducted decontamination and disinfection on 110 buildings and offices, including 34 SBMA properties.This time they aren't using water to put out fires. They are using disinfectant to kill germs.
A new PhilHealth chief has been appointed.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/01/2039326/new-philhealth-chief-admits-he-has-no-public-health-knowledge-experience |
The newly-appointed chief of the embattled Philippine Health Insurance Corporation on Tuesday admitted he has no prior knowledge or experience when it comes to public health
PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Dante Gierran, former National Bureau of Investigation director, said this in an interview with ANC's "Headstart" Tuesday morning.
"I'm very scared. I'm scared because I don't know the operations of PhilHealth. Unlike NBI, I knew the operations of NBI. But PhilHealth, wala. I do not know about public health," he said.
"I don't have experience about public health. What I know about is financial management, having been a certified public accountant, and insurance," Gierran added.
Despite his lack of experience in public health, Gierran asked the Filipino people to give him "a chance to lead."
"I would like to succeed. I am scared but I am not cowed," he said.
Section 14 of the Universal Health Care Act stipulates "that the Board cannot recommend a President and CEO of PhilHealth unless the member is a Filipino citizen and must have at least seven (7) years of experience in the field of public health, management, finance, and health economics or a combination of any of these expertise."
Great idea to appoint a man to lead PhilHealth who has no experience in public health. Is his appointment even legal? Is it void ab initio?
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive people to desperation.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive people to desperation.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1329985/pandemic-forcing-desperate-trips-to-pawnshops |
Gym receptionist Jen Caindoy did not think twice about pawning four pieces of jewelry right after Malacañang announced the start of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on March 16.
“I was in a state of panic,” said Caindoy, 33, of San Isidro, Parañaque City. She said she was afraid all stores would be closed and her savings would not be enough to sustain her and her family.
The family consists of her father and elder brother who are cockfighting aficionados with no regular source of income, her brother’s three children, her sister, and herself.
She was the only one with a stable income, earning P12,000 a month until the gym, considered a nonessential establishment under the ECQ, was closed. She now earns P450 a day working part time at a milk tea shop.
Caindoy went to the pawnshop in Barangay BF Homes before the ECQ began and was able to get more than P23,000 for a white gold necklace, a yellow gold ring, and two yellow gold bracelets.
Speaking to the Inquirer by phone, Caindoy said she had a friend who advised her years ago that it would be good to invest in gold jewelry.
“My friend was correct,” she said. “I experienced pawning my jewelry for the first time when we needed to repair the third floor of our house. And I was able to pay back that loan quickly.”
What is more pathetic? That Filipinos "invest" in gold jewelry so they can pawn it during hard times? That this woman was the only one with a stable income and was supporting her loafing father and brother who were too occupied with cockfighting to get a real job? That her brother has three children but is unable to support them? Is it any wonder that Filipinos are getting desperate and that many have no savings when this is a perfectly normal situation?
Some health workers have been evicted from their homes by scared landlords. Duterte says the government will take care of them.
Some health workers have been evicted from their homes by scared landlords. Duterte says the government will take care of them.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113978 |
Medical front-liners who have been evicted by their landlords from their homes will be provided with food and shelter by the government, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday.
In a taped public address, Duterte said it hurts him to see how health care workers on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic are being mistreated due to the “unfounded fear” that they are carriers of the disease.
“They are summarily dismissed from the residence whether it is leased, rented. Iyan ang nakaka-ano ng loob. Kaya itong mga 'to, we must have a mechanism. Sasaluhin natin ito dito(It pains me. That’s why we must have a mechanism. Let’s help them),” he said.
Duterte said health care workers evicted from their homes may seek help from the office of Chief Implementer of the country's National Policy Against Covid-19, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.
“If this happens, you can call directly the office of Secretary Galvez and we will provide you with the necessary billeting and pati pagkain (even food), and we will choose a place nearest to where you are working,” he said.
Duterte said the government could easily provide health care workers with a room in a hotel or motel to stay in the meantime.
“It behooves this government to do something about it. We will find a house, a hotel, a motel,” he said.
Hopefully these workers will be put up in a nice hotel.
