News Roundup 05 July 2020
Jul 05, 2020 • 3 min Read
Coronavirus cases breach 44,000 with 2,434 new patients | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities recorded 2,434 more patients of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Sunday—the highest single-day rise in cases thus far—bringing the number of confirmed cases in the country to 44,254. According to the latest tally by the Department of Health, the total recoveries and deaths linked to the new pathogen stand at 11,942 and 1,297 apiece, after adding 489 and 7 respectively.
CHR reminds government of vow to uphold rights amid Anti-Terrorism Law | PHILSTAR.COM – Though acknowledging the intent of the Anti-Terrrorism Law to “curb terrorism,” the Commission on Human Rights and other groups reminded the administration that its fight against rebels should not come at the expense of fundamental freedoms, a concern raised against provisions of the new law. According to the commission, which was present during deliberations at the Senate and House of Representatives, that “the law puts at risk the guaranteed rights of the people” leaves much room for reservations. “Our position has been clear: CHR deplores how violence by terrorists have disregarded individual and collective rights through the destruction of properties and loss of lives. We are against terrorism. But in the pursuit of a safer nation, we cannot compromise our human rights,” lawyer Jacqueline Ann de Guia, CHR spokesperson, said in a statement.
Army says ex-UP Visayas student killed in clash with NPAs in Iloilo | INQUIRER.NET – A former student at the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) was killed in a clash between New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and government troops in Iloilo. In a statement released on Sunday, the Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion identified the slain rebel as Marvin Christian Cruz, 21, allegedly the team leader of Squad 2 of the Suyak Platoon of the Southern Front Committee under the Panay Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
VP urges gov’t to include locally stranded individuals in COVID-19 tests | Manila Bulletin – The government must include locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in its testing efforts for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Vice President Leni Robredo said on Sunday, July 5. Speaking on her radio show, “BISErbisyong Leni,” Robredo stressed the procurement of the 10 million testing kits by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) should cover the LSIs “to prevent the spread of the virus in provinces.” ”Sana, bago nga pauwiin, available na iyong swab test, kasi ito sana iyong makakapigil upang hindi na mag-spread iyong virus (I hope that before they will be sent home, the swab test is available, because this will help stop the spread of the virus),” she said. Robredo explained the LSIs should undergo swab testing before they travel because most of them don’t manifest any symptoms of COVID-19.
Wake up, take control – WHO | The Manila Times – GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday (Saturday in Manila) urged countries hit by serious coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreaks to “wake up” to the realities on the ground instead of bickering and to “take control.” “People need to wake up. The data is not lying. The situation on the ground is not lying,” WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told journalists at a briefing hosted by the United Nations Correspondents Association in Geneva. Touching almost every country on Earth since it emerged in China late last year, the coronavirus has hit at least 10.8 million people and killed 521,000 worldwide.
