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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Pateros' mayor closes down basketball courts due to increase in COVID-19 cases

Pateros' mayor closes down basketball courts due to increase in COVID-19 cases

Published Dec 31, 2021 04:27 pm

Pateros Mayor Miguel “Ike” Ponce III temporarily closed down basketball courts starting on Dec. 31 as he expressed alarm over the sudden increase in the number of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the municipality.

Ponce held an emergency meeting on New Year’s Eve together with barangay captains and the Pateros police to discuss the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and rules for a safe New Year celebration.

Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III (in yellow shirt) presiding over an emergency meeting on Dec. 31 to discuss the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the municipality (Pateros municipal government)

Pateros, the smallest local government unit (LGU) in Metro Manila, achieved COVID-19-free status for three weeks but on Dec. 28, Ponce announced the return of the disease in the municipality.

In a live broadcast on Facebook on Dec. 31, Ponce revealed that Pateros currently has 22 new COVID-19 cases.

The Department of Health recorded an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases especially in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Ponce said in the last few days, Pateros’ COVID-19 positivity rate jumped from 0.08 percent to 1.6 percent to five percent. Positivity rate refers to people who test positive for COVID-19 out of the total number tested.

To curb the spread of COVID-19, Ponce said one approach is to discourage activities that do not require wearing of face masks like basketball games or any contact sports wherein players take off their masks.

He said he ordered barangay captains to close down basketball courts starting at 1 p.m. on Dec. 31 until further notice.

“I would like to apologize to our players because all of our barangay courts will be closed. No one will be allowed to play basketball because we fear that this can become a spreader since we do not wear masks when we play basketball,” said Ponce, who also ordered the temporary removal of basketball rings in open courts.

The mayor also said they will strictly implement the rule on wearing of face masks outside residence.

In addition, Ponce also ordered barangay captains to prohibit mass gatherings in their areas, except gatherings in residences, on Dec. 31 to prevent the spread of the virus, which he suspects is the Omicron variant.

Ponce also reminded the public that Pateros has a ban on the use and sale of firecrackers and fireworks.

Related Tags

Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III covid-19 Pateros OMICRON VARIANT Pateros COVID-19 cases
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