With super spreader events slowly turning up anew with the easing of health protocols, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año assured on Saturday, July 17, that stricter measures will be enforced to curb mass gatherings and other health and safety practice violations.
In an interview, Año vowed to make the local chief executives (LCEs) answerable for any misdeeds concerning mass gathering events and negligence in imposing health protocols as the country continues its uphill battle against the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) menace.
“We will again remind the LGUs (local government units), particularly the LCEs to be strict on the implementation of minimum health standard protocols and appropriate community quarantine guidelines,’’ Año said.
The DILG chief also noted that he will require the Philippine National Police (PNP) and barangay tanods (village security personnel) and enforcers to “increase their presence and visibility in commercial and public areas. Likewise we will hold local officials accountable on super spreader events.’’
With reports of mass gathering incidents, Año urged the public “to report immediately violation to the authorities via hotline and action numbers of corresponding LGUs and we assure prompt actions to any report.’’
In a GMA News report, infectious disease expert Dr. Anna Ong-Lim said “we need to make sure that no mass gatherings are held’’ stressing that even small gathering events within family members or work groups should be rethinked as they are potential super spreader events.
From July 6 to 11 the DILG reported that a total of 522 individuals were found to have violated the prohibition on mass gatherings.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) early this month allowed children five years old and up in areas placed under the general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) to leave their residence and go outdoors in specific areas.
While some welcomed the relaxed restrictions on children aged five and above, while others remained skeptical with the development due to the COVID-19 variants particularly the Delta variant which have entered the country.
However, psychiatrist Dr. Bernadette Arcena-Manalo noted in the same GMA News report that allowing children outdoors is beneficial to them after a year of being not physically going to school.
“Socially of course they are affected. Mentally, interpersonal skills siguro bumaba dito because there is no classroom setup. And then psychologically of course, the concept of having classroom in the house is something they have to adjust,” Manalo said. (Chito A. Chavez)