New Roundup 20 December 2020
Dec 20, 2020 • 4 min Read
Coronavirus cases reach 459,000; DOH adds 1,754 new cases | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities added 1,754 new cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 on Sunday, bringing the national caseload to 459,789. This comes as part of the health department’s daily case bulletin, which also added 8,080 more recoveries, bringing the total of recovered patients to 429,134. The Department of Health also recorded 36 more casualties linked to the pathogen, bringing its death toll in the Philippines to 8,947.
After pilot test nod on in-person classes, Robredo tells gov’t to be open to suggestions | PHILSTAR.COM – Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said government should be more open to suggestions after its approval this week of a pilot test for resuming in-person learning in low-risk areas, a move she had been pushing for in the past. The Duterte Cabinet had given the go signal for the education department’s proposal, which is set in January next year and will take place in over 1,000 schools in areas with low coronavirus transmission. “Kung mas bukas lang sila sa suggestions, mas marami na sanang bata ‘yung natulungan,” she said over radio dzXL. “Ilang beses na natin ‘to na-discuss [dito] pero ‘pag galing sa akin shina-shut down, iniinsulto pa nga tayo pero later on gagawin din nila many months after.” (If they were only open to suggestions, many students would have already been assisted. We have discussed this many times in our radio show but when the suggestion comes from me, it’s shut down get insults, only for them to do it months later.) Robredo had called for the resumption of physical classes in low-risk areas, citing challenges under distance learning such as no signal or internet access for students and teachers as well as gadget availability. In October, the OVP opened its community learning hubs in various areas geared to help learners without internet connection in their homes. The said project, however, faced question from the administration after DepEd said the hubs were not approved by the agency. Official exchanges between Robredo and Secretary Leonor Briones later on showed that the education chief herself called it a “good initiative” before distancing from the top opposition figure’s efforts. “Sana ‘yung mga solusyon na binibigay natin akma sa sitwasyon on the ground, hindi ‘yung one size fits all,” Robredo said. “‘Yung sitwasyon sa Metro Manila hindi ‘yun ‘yung sitwasyon sa baba lalo na ‘yung mga isla o bukid, malalayo wala namang COVID cases.” (The solutions we give to supposedly solve our problems should match the situation on the ground. The picture in Metro Manila is not the same as those in islands or farms, far from having COVID-19 infections.)
Focus on securing COVID-19 vaccine, Robredo tells Duterte gov’t | INQUIRER.NET – Rather than waste time bickering on “who dropped ball” in the talks with the United States-based drugmaker Pfizer, Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday enjoined the Duterte government to focus on securing COVID-19 vaccine deals. During her weekly radio program, Robredo said government officials’ opposing claims in the issue only adds to the public’s fears that the country is being left behind in the procurement of the coronavirus vaccines. Robredo, however, refused to dip her hands into the issue involving Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manual Romualdez, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, as she noted that there are many sides to the story. “Ayaw kong manisi ng kahit sino, kasi hindi ko naman alam iyong buong kuwento. Hindi ko alam iyong buong kuwento, pero napakaraming sides of the coin,” Robredo said. Locsin earlier tweeted that he and Romualdez were able to secure millions of vaccine doses of Pfizer vaccines which are to arrive in the country by January 2021. However, the country’s top diplomat bared that the plans were foiled after “someone dropped the ball.” Locsin did not identify who he was referring to. It was Lacson who claimed that it was Duque who allegedly botched the deal by failing to submit a confidentiality data agreement that would have allowed the transaction to push through.
Manila drive-thru, walk-in serology testing clinics closed until Jan. 4 | Manila Bulletin – The Manila city government’s drive-thru coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) serology testing center, as well as three of its walk-in serology testing centers, will be closed until Jan 4, 2021. The drive-thru serology testing facility at the Quirino Grandstand and the walk-in serology testing facilities at Ospital ng Tondo, Ospital ng Sampaloc, and Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center temporarily suspended their operations on Dec. 18. However, the walk-in serology testing centers at Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center and Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital will remain open to the public. Each facility can accommodate up to 100 individuals and, when operations resume, will be open at 6 a.m. from Mondays to Fridays. Testing is free for everyone. The testing centers use serology testing machines that process blood samples and has an accuracy rate of 99.6 percent.
