News Roundup 15 April 2020
Apr 15, 2020 • 2 min Read
Brace for ‘new normal’: War vs COVID-19 ain’t over even if lockdown ends | INQUIRER.NET – Wearing of face mask and social distancing might carry on as the “new normal” even after the enhanced community quarantine is lifted by April 30. This was the fearless forecast of former Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit as he asserted that the battle against the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, would be far from over even if the strict quarantine is removed. And this is what the public should understand, he said.
DOH reassigns NCMH exec who talked about COVID-19 cases at hospital | PHILSTAR.COM – An official at the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong who had earlier released statements about novel coronavirus cases in the facility has been reassigned. The Department of Health on April 13 issued a directive ordering the immediate transfer of NCMH chief administrative officer Clarita Avila to the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Las Piñas. According to a report by GMA News Online, Avila was quoted as saying that her reassignment was “because of my exposé made to media about the gag order issued to me by Dr. [Roland] Cortez and my exposé about what’s happening inside the NCMH”.
Organization provides assistance to PWDs and workers from informal sector | Manila Bulletin – A humanitarian aid organization has been providing assistance to persons with disabilities and workers in the informal sector, as the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine continues to affect livelihoods and food security. The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has so far provided P1.2 million worth of assistance to the “most vulnerable populations.” “Beyond the dangers of the disease itself, the current situation makes it virtually impossible for many families in the communities we serve to meet their most basic needs,” said CRS sub-regional country representative Matthew McGarry.
Pandemic displaces 1.5M workers – DoLE | The Manila Times – The coronavirus pandemic had displaced some 1.5 million workers in the formal sector, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE). Majority of the affected workers were in the manufacturing, hotel, restaurant and tourism-related sectors. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said on Tuesday that as of April 13, a total of 1,428,841 workers have been displaced as reported by 52,993 establishments. “More than 1 million of those were due to temporary closures while the balance were affected by various flexible work arrangements,” Bello said.
