Health authorities urged the public to observe the Feast of the Black Nazarene at their respective homes to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.
It is best for the devotees to observe activities related to the feast “by attending virtual events at home instead of going to unsafe gatherings” as the country is seeing a rising number of COVID-19 infections, the Department of Health (DOH) and World Health Organization (WHO) said in a joint statement on Wednesday, Jan. 5.
The agencies said that the spike in cases “resulted from the increase in movement and social mixing over the holiday period” and “to the possibility of the local spread of the Omicron variant.”
“We have witnessed this past holiday season how fast, how rapid the rise has been of COVID-19 because of social gatherings. We would like to remind everyone to be vigilant and continue practicing the necessary health protocols amid the impending threat of the Omicron variant and the continued rise in cases these past days. In light of these, we are calling for a suspension of all mass gatherings,” said DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III.
WHO Country Representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe said that “our alarming situation calls for safer ways to celebrate traditions.”
“We appeal to devotees — please stay at home to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. Doing so is an act of kindness. We need to protect each other, especially our elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. They can most easily catch the virus and possibly suffer its worst consequences — severe disease, hospitalization and even death,” he said.
“To our barangay leaders, we strongly urge you to consistently implement the measures to prevent unsafe gatherings in your community,” he added.
The DOH and WHO warned that the Omicron variant is more transmissible than the Delta variant.
“The new Omicron variant has been detected in over 110 countries, including the Philippines. Growing evidence shows that it spreads much faster than other variants such as Delta,” they said.