No IATF COVID guidelines yet for Undas but restrictions likely to be enforced- Año

Strict rules would likely be imposed in the areas near and inside the cemeteries and memorial parks for the coming All Saint's and All Soul's Day amid the continuous threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Monday, Oct. 11.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has not yet discussed the restrictive provisions that will be imposed during these days as the public is keenly waiting for the government’s guidelines to enable them to make the necessary adjustments when visiting their dearly departed loved ones.

“Hindi pa napag usapan sa IATFpero (It has not been discussed in the IATF but) just like last year there is a possibility that cemeteries will be closed during Undas and there will be restrictions on the number of persons to be allowed inside the cemeteries on a given time,’’ Año stated.

The government has relentlessly pursued the implementation of quarantine protocols as the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) had a tremendous adverse effect on public health and the economy worldwide.

Last year, the DILG ordered all local government units (LGUs) and the police force to ensure that all private and public cemeteries, memorial parks and columbariums are closed from October 29 to November 4 as visits for the traditional All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2 respectively will have to be adjusted.

As early as Sept. 2020, President Duterte ordered their closure during these days to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Back then, Año reminded the LGUs that the number of visitors in cemeteries, memorial parks and columbariums shall be limited to only 30 percent of the venue’s capacity, with all those entering required to wear face masks and face shields and observe physical distancing.

The DILG chief added in 2020 that “the danger has not passed and LGUs must ensure that there will be no mass gathering in cemeteries’’ particularly in Metro Manila even with the improved fight against COVID-19 “since the health crisis is not yet over.’’

Like in the past, Año emphasized that the public needs to make the necessary adjustments of their scheduled visits to the cemeteries in the midst of the pandemic to pay their respects to their departed relatives and friends. (Chito A. Chavez)