News Roundup 20 March 2021
Mar 20, 2021 • 3 min Read
With 7,999 new COVID-19 cases, Philippines again tops record for highest daily rise | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Saturday recorded 7,999 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 656,056.
- Active cases: 80,642 or 12.3% of the total
- Recoveries: 597, pushing total to 562,484
- Deaths: 30, bringing total to 12,930
‘We are failing’: Clear plan sought from gov’t after COVID-19 cases hit record high | PHILSTAR.COM – A senator and a former coronavirus task force adviser again called on the government to rethink its approach to the COVID-19 pandemic after cases on Friday reached an all-time high — more than a year into community quarantine. “I believe it’s time for government to call for a summit to regroup and redefine the plan of action. Too many measures, hardly any impact,” Dr. Tony Leachon, a public health expert, said on Twitter on Saturday. “We need a systematic plan now, before we reach a breaking point,” Sen. Risa Hontiveros urged partially in Filipino the day before, shortly after the Philippines recorded 7,103 new infections. “Numbers don’t lie: We are failing,” she said on Twitter. But the government continues to fumble its response, reversing policies left and right, unable to decide on the first try if migrant workers should be able to return home, or if vaccines should be concentrated in Metro Manila, where cases are highest, while supply runs low.
Lagman throws support for 1Sambayan; calls for united opposition in 2022 polls | INQUIRER.NET – Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman has expressed support for the formation of the opposition coalition 1Sambayan as he called for the opposition’s collective unity in the 2022 national elections. Using a 10-point system, Laguna detailed in a statement how 1Sambayan will have a better chance against the administration once the elections roll around. Lagman stressed that cooperation within the opposition is key and that its platform should be anchored on the Constitution and rule of law. “It is correct for the opposition groups to unify in preparation for the 2022 elections to offset and upset the Duterte forces’ superior machinery and logistics. With the filing of certificates of candidacy in October just seven months away, it is foolhardy and pretentious for others to pontificate that it is too early to talk about the forthcoming elections,” said Lagman. “It is indeed imperative for a united opposition to have a pool of responsible, credible, respectable, viable and winnable presidentiables and other candidates who are truly oppositionists.” Lagman added that 1Sambayan’s leadership should listen to a healthy spectrum of the youth, women, marginalized sectors, and seasoned politicians with the last one already holding a wealth of experience when it comes to the nitty-gritty of politics. There’s also the issue of funding that, Lagman said, is imperative for the group to secure if it plans to stage a nationwide campaign. Lagman pointed out that the group’s campaign will still bank on the independence of the Commission on Elections and that Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines will accurately and promptly count the votes.
DOST eyes completion of VCO trials by June | Manila Bulletin – The ongoing Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) trials among coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and in Valenzuela City are expected to be completed by June, an official of the Department of Science and Technology said Saturday, March 20. DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya said the increasing cases of COVID-19 cases in the country would help expedite the ongoing VCO trials.
