News Roundup 01 November 2021
Nov 01, 2021 • 3 min Read
DOH: COVID-19 tally up by 3,117 new cases, but 8 labs without data | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities reported 3,117 more coronavirus infections on Monday, bringing the national caseload to 2,790,375. In its latest bulletin released Monday afternoon, the DOH reported a positivity rate of 7.5% out of 41,712 tests.
- Active cases: 43,185 or 1.5% of the total
- Recoveries: 5,124 new additions, bringing the number to 2,703,914.
- Deaths: 104, now 43,276 in total
According to the Department of Health, eight labs were not able to submit their tallies for Monday’s final count.
OCTA backs easing Metro Manila to Alert Level 2 | PHILSTAR.COM – It is safe to reopen more businesses in Metro Manila now that the capital region is at “low risk” for COVID-19, OCTA Research said Monday. OCTA Research fellow Guido David in a public briefing said he and other members of the panel “support the relaxing [of restrictions] to Alert Level 2” in NCR come mid-November. He cautioned that this should be done “in a safe manner,” with the public avoiding large gatherings and congregations and continuing to abide by minimum health standards. “Of course, for the alert level system, what we use there is the metrics of the Department of Health and the [pandemic task force],” David said. “So, they will be the one to recommend an easing to Alert Level 2. But based on our reading of the data, it is actually safe to reopen our business at this time.” The new alert level system first piloted in Metro Manila is based on the virus transmission rate, hospital bed utilization rate and intensive care utilization rate of a city or municipality. David said NCR’s positivity rate for the virus is at 5%, “an ideal number recommended by the World Health Organization.” He also cited the region’s “very low” average daily attack rate, with most local government units reporting ADARs below 7.
CA junks OSG’s appeal, allows Maria Ressa to attend Harvard program in US | INQUIRER.NET – Nobel Peace Price awardee and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa has left for the United States on Sunday following the Court of Appeals’ decision granting her request to attend a program at Harvard University in Boston, and at the same time, visit her parents in Florida. In its resolution, the Court of Appeals 8th division, which is hearing her appeal on her cyber libel conviction, allowed Ressa to travel from Oct. 31, 2021, to Dec. 2, 2021, only for the purpose she mentioned. The appeals court required Ressa to post a P500,000 travel cash bond and submit her updated itinerary including her intended visit to her parents in Florida. Upon her return, the court also required Ressa to report to the court in writing within 24 hours from arrival. The Office of the Solicitor General tried to block Ressa’s travel bid staying there is no “absolute necessity and urgency” for her to travel to the US. The OSG added that the fact that Ressa has been criticizing her cyber libel conviction and the fact that she has dual citizenship makes her a flight risk. But the Court of Appeals, in denying the bid of the OSG said the arguments it has raised in its motion for reconsideration are a mere reiteration of their comments “which we have exhaustively passed upon.”
No Pinoys hurt in Tokyo train attack, reports DFA | Manila Bulletin – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that no Filipinos were hurt when a man in a Joker costume launched an attack on a train in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday, October 31. The DFA made the assurance following reports that 17 people were injured during a knife and arson attack by a man clad in a green shirt and purple suit near Kokuryo station on Halloween night. “Based on a report from our embassy, no Filipinos were hurt in the attack,” the DFA said Monday afternoon.
