News Roundup 20 June 2020
Jun 20, 2020 • 3 min Read
Motorcycle back-riding to be allowed soon ‘in principle’ in task force guidelines — Palace | PHILSTAR.COM – Malacañang on Saturday announced that Filipinos will be able to back-ride again on motorcycles during the local COVID-19 crisis upon approval of requirements set by a technical working group and issuance of guidelines by the National Task Force for COVID-19. “Malapit na po ang back-riding pero kinakailangan ang NTF (National Task Force) po ang mag-issue ng mga guidelines. Pinapayagan na in-principle ang back-riding upon the approval of the requirements na ise-set ng technical working group,” the presidential spokesperson said during the Saturday morning Laging Handa virtual briefing. Roque said that the technical working group, consisting of the Department of Transportation, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Health, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Department of Trade and Industry Bureau of Philippine Standards has been tasked to convene and formulate the safest and most effective way to reduce COVID-19 transmission in motorcycle back-riding.
Stranded persons barred to enter, leave Cebu and Talisay cities for now |INQUIRER.NET – The national government has ordered a temporary ban on locally stranded individuals (LSIs) traveling to and from the cities of Cebu and Talisay as COVID-19 cases in these areas continue to increase. Police commanders across the country have also been informed to temporarily suspend the issuance of Travel Authority for LSIs going to Cebu City and Talisay City. Likewise, the Regional Director of Police Regional Office 7, Director of the Cebu City Police Office and his Station Commanders, Provincial Director of Cebu Police Provincial Office, and Chief of Police of Talisay City Police Station were also directed to withhold the issuance of Travel Authority for LSIs within their areas of responsibility.
WHO warns world in ‘new and dangerous phase’ of pandemic By Agence France-Presse | Manila Bulletin – The World Health Organization warned Friday of a “new and dangerous phase” of the coronavirus pandemic with people tiring of lockdowns despite the disease’s accelerating spread. The warning came as it emerged the virus was present in Italy in December, months before its first confirmed cases and about the same time as the disease was first reported in China. The virus, which has now killed more than 454,000 people and infected 8.4 million people worldwide, is surging in the Americas and parts of Asia even as Europe starts to ease restrictive measures. Lockdowns imposed to halt the spread of the disease have caused crippling economic damage, but the WHO said the pandemic still posed a major threat. “The world is in a new and dangerous phase. Many people are understandably fed up with being at home… but the virus is still spreading fast,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.
DoH to study correlation between Covid-19, blood types | The Manila Times – The Department of Health (DoH) will study the correlation between blood types and the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) following research that certain blood types have a higher risk of infection. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, concurrent spokesman, said that while the DoH was taking note of these researches, it had not made its own study. Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine said those with blood type A may possibly have a higher risk of acquiring Covid-19 as opposed to other blood types, which confirmed a similar study made in China. Vergeire added the DoH would wait for additional evidence, including a possible study in the Philippines, before coming up with any change in clinical strategy such as further expanding testing protocols.
