News Roundup 02 August 2020
Aug 02, 2020 • 4 min Read
Fourth day in a row of record-high single-day influx of COVID cases, PH total breaches 100,000 | PHILSTAR.COM – For the fourth day in a row and on the 138th day since the first implementation of enhanced community quarantine, the Department of Health logged a new record-high leap in its daily infection count, this time with a troubling 5,032 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the national caseload to 103,185. The record for single-day infections was broken four times this week after 3,954, 4,063, and 4,963 cases were reported on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, respectively. Though a number of areas including Metro Manila have been on general community quarantine since the start of June to restart its economy, the health department asserts that the continuing influx in cases daily is due in part to heightened testing capabilities. The health department’s latest tally also brought with it 301 and 20 new recoveries and deaths, bringing their totals to 65,557 and 2,059, respectively.
‘Medical quarantine, not ECQ’: Health professionals call for change in ‘militaristic’ lockdowns | PHILSTAR.COM – A group of doctors on Sunday opposed a call for a return to enhanced community quarantine saying the way the quarantines have been implemented are “devoid of scientific sense and health purpose.” They did, however, echo an earlier call from medical professionals and frontliners urging the national government to reform and recalibrate its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the 138th day since ECQ was first put in place, six medical frontliners in a “second opinion” said that the “Duterte-style enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or lockdown” set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has been unscientific and oppressive. The manifesto was signed by Doctors Gene Nisperos, Geneve Rivera-Reyes, Darby Santiago, Leonard Javier and Soraya Escandor, and Reigtered Nurse Sean Velchez. “Doctors and healthcare workers must reclaim quarantine for what it should be: A public health measure aimed at saving lives by stopping the spread of disease. We must reject the distorted forms of ‘community quarantine’ being imposed on us, as these are devoid of scientific sense and health purpose, and serve only to oppress our people,” they said.
Archdiocese of Manila suspends public masses amid medical groups’ ECQ appeal | INQUIRER.NET – The Archdiocese of Manila will suspend all public religious activities from Aug. 3 to 14, in response to the call of health workers to place Metro Manila under the the more stringent enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) status anew due to rising coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. The announcement was made by Bishop Broderick Pabillo in a pastoral instruction on Saturday. “All churches and shrines under the Archdiocese of Manila will revert to the period of the [enhanced community quarantine] ECQ protocols,” Pabillo said. However, Pabillo noted that all online religious activities will continue.
Robredo accepts DepEd invitation to attend blended learning dry run | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo will attend the government’s dry run of public schools’ alternative learning method on Aug. 10. Robredo confirmed her attendance in her Sunday radio show “BISErbisyong Leni.” “Actually, hindi alam ni Secretary (Harry) Roque na nag-attend na ako ng simulation ngayong (noong) July. Ang nag-simulate ‘yung Navotas school district (Secretary Roque does not know I already attended a simulation in July. It was the Navotas school district which simulated),” she said. “Iyong team natin andoon sila. Nag-attend ako by Zoom. Napanood ko lahat (Our team was present there. I attended by Zoom. I watched everything),” Robredo added. The Vice President noted the best practices in Navotas that can be adopted by other school districts across the country. Robredo suggested the government should make sure the communities nationwide would have Internet hubs for students without gadgets and Internet access so they can cope with distance learning classes. Her other suggestions also include providing scholarship grants to children of COVID-19 victims and identifying areas with no recorded cases to allow face-to-face classes. While Robredo accepted the DepEd’s invitation, she said this goes beyond the dry run of the schools’ alternative learning method. She cited anew the technological limitations of schools in the farthest and poorest areas that the government needs to address for the conduct of online classes.
Nurse killed in ambulance shooting in Palawan | The Manila Times – A nurse was killed when the ambulance he was riding was attacked by unidentified gunmen in Roxas, Palawan on Saturday afternoon, local police reported. Aljerome Bernardo, 51, who sustained a gunshot wound on his chest, was one of the people on board a Rescue 165 ambulance when the shooting occurred along the National Highway of Sitio Stockpile in Barangay Dumarao at 3 p.m., police said Alex Dela Pena, 51, the ambulance driver, was wounded after sustaining gunshot wounds on different parts of his body. Bernardo’s companions, Armando Quejano Carbajosa, 4; and Christopher Juanites Tamolin, 39, were unharmed. Investigation is ongoing.
