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| UP-PGH staff with journalist Howie Severino who donated his blood plasma after recovering from Covid-19 |
The Philippines
Under the new scheme, more businesses will reopen, with those providing essential services such as agriculture, manufacturing, hospitals, telecommunications, groceries, public markets, and media allowed to resume at full capacity.
Venues where people gather in large numbers such as malls will have restricted operations, and will be required to follow certain health protocols, including the wearing of face masks, temperature checks and installation of footbaths at the entrance, and physical distancing inside the venues.
Businesses that will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity include beauty parlors and barber shops, film, music and television production, postal and courier services, pawnshops and money transfer outlets.
Leisure venues such as cinemas, theaters, karaoke lounges, beer houses, clubs, comedy bars and gyms will remain shut.
Venues where people gather in large numbers such as malls will have restricted operations, and will be required to follow certain health protocols, including the wearing of face masks, temperature checks and installation of footbaths at the entrance, and physical distancing inside the venues.
Businesses that will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity include beauty parlors and barber shops, film, music and television production, postal and courier services, pawnshops and money transfer outlets.
Leisure venues such as cinemas, theaters, karaoke lounges, beer houses, clubs, comedy bars and gyms will remain shut.
Rail services, including the MRT, LRT and the PNR, will
resume but with limited capacity, while some 23,000 taxi and private-hire vehicles
such as those licensed with Grab will be allowed to service commuters. Public buses and jeepneys will remain off the streets.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye! |
Transportation officials said there will be no fare
increases and only no-cash transactions will be allowed. Passengers and drivers
will all have to wear masks.
Several airlines, including Philippine Airlines, Cebu
Pacific and Air Asia, are also set to fly in phases on international and domestic
routes. The three local airlines have not flown since Febuary, after the
government implemented travel restrictions.
All courts will resume hearings, and schools will start remote enrollment.
Meanwhile, the country’s biggest business groups, along with non-government organizations, have expressed their disappointment with public officials who violated security and health protocols while the country was on lockdown.
The groups issued a joint statement calling on the
administration to apply the law for everyone, and ensure faith in the country’s
justice system.
The statement was signed by the American and Canadian
chambers of commerce, Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines , Judicial Reform Index, Financial
Executives of the Philippines ,
Institute of Corporate
Directors and the Institute for Solidarity in Asia .
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| Uson got flak for speaking before a large group of OFWs under quarantine |
Among the officials publicized for
violating the health protocols were Senator Aquilino Pimentel III who took his pregnant wife to hospital while under
quarantine, OWWA Deputy Administrator Mocha Uson who spoke to a large gathering
of overseas Filipino workers under quarantine in Batangas, and National Capital
Region police chief Major General Debold Sinas who recently celebrated his
birthday with numerous guests.
In its daily briefing today, the Department of Health (DOH) said
only 16 of the additional cases were “fresh” cases, meaning the result was
released to the patient within three days, while the rest are all “late” cases.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the late
cases came from the complete “line list” or results of 27 laboratories and the
partial result of one other facility.
She said no more late cases will be reported until 14 other
laboratories have submitted their test results.
A total of 318,356 individuals have been tested by 48
accredited laboratories and other medical facilities across the country.
Of the confirmed cases, an additional 101 patients recovered
from the disease today, bringing the total number to 3,909 or about 20% of all
infected patients. The death toll climbed to 957, with seven new fatalities.
The rest of the patients, or 12,466 are active cases, 94
percent of which are mild. Of the remainder, 680 are asymptomatic, while 55 are
severe and 18 are in critical condition.
Among the fresh cases, six were from Metro Manila, while the
remaining 10 were spread out across the country.
Of the late cases, 238 came from Metro Manila, 235 were
repatriates, 81 were from Region VII, and the 292 other patients came from
various areas nationwide.
