DOH urges LGUs to create anti-COVID-19 discrimination ordinance

The Department of Health on Saturday urged local government units to implement anti-discrimination ordinances to protect coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and frontliners.

At a virtual briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire cited as an example the Manila City government's Ordinance No. 8624 or the Anti-COVID-19 Discrimination Ordinance of 2020.

"Ipinagbabawal ng ordinansang ito ang ano mang uri ng dikriminasyon sa mga biktima ng COVID-19. Maging mag patients under investigation, persons under monitoring, health workers, at frontliners sa lungsod ng Maynila," Vergeire said.

"Hinihikayat po ng ating kagawaran ang iba pang local governments na magpatupad ng kagaya nitong ordinansa. Nawa'y bigyan natin ng angkop na pagpapahaalaga at proteksyon ang ating health care workers," she added.

The undersecretary once again condemned the discrimination of frontliners after receiving reports that another health worker had been harrassed.

"Amin po'ng mariing kinokondema ang mga ganitong pangyayari. Ang mga health care workers at iba pang frontliners ang tumutulong sa atin upang maitawid natin ang ating bayan sa krisis na ito," Vergeire said.

"Imbis na sila ay ating itaboy at saktan dahil sa takot na mahawa tayo sa COVID-19, sila po ay ating dapat pasalamatan at pag-bigyang pugay. Ang kanilang dedikasyon at serbisyo sa bayan ay walang katumbas," she added.

Under the Manila ordinance, violators will be penalized with a P5,000 fine or a maximum of six months in prison, or both.

As of Friday, there are 3,094 COVID-19 cases nationwide with 144 total recorded fatalities.

A nurse in Sultan Kudarat was earlier attacked with bleach on his way to work. -MDM, GMA News