Christmas parties are prohibited for now, one of the Cabinet officials leading the fight against COVID-19 said on October 19. This yuletide season will be celebrated virtually, like most 2020 holidays.
The Philippines is winning the fight against COVID-19, officials said, citing data. Infections in the epicenter, Metro Manila, are going down while authorities contain pocket outbreaks in the provinces, Cabinet chiefs reported to President Rodrigo Duterte.
"Bawal ho ang Christmas party. Hindi papayagan ang Christmas party habang ganito ang ating sitwasyon" said Department of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, referring to physical gatherings. Pandemic health protocols require physical distancing, face masks, and face shields.
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Ahead of the expiry of current quarantine restrictions at the end of October, officials allowed teens and senior citizens to run errands, a ban on foreign leisure travel was lifted, and the maximum capacity of passengers in trains was increased. Curfews in the capital region were also shortened.
"I'm happy to note, there's an in improvement in all aspects of the fight against COVID," Duterte said. "We are succeeding and everything, everybody is putting effort, sweat, dito sa trabaho."
Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque told the President that cases in Metro Manila are going down. On the national level, the country reported 2,638 new cases Monday, bringing the total to 359,169. Of the total, 11.75% are active, 310,303 recovered while 6,675 died, or around 1.9% of the total, he said.
With the pandemic contained in the capital, officials are responding to requests for help in the provinces to contain outbreaks such as Bukidnon, Pangasinan, La Union, Tawi-Tawi, Nueva Ecija, Leyte, and Negros Occidental, said Secretary Carlito Galvez, the chief implementer of the country's pandemic-fighting strategy.
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