Manila, QC ban street caroling ahead of Christmas holidays amid COVID-19 pandemic

Manila and Quezon City have banned caroling in the streets over the Christmas holidaysamid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Raffy Tima’s report on “24 Oras”, the two cities prohibited the joy-giving activity to prevent the further spread of the virus.

On Sunday, the Joint Task Force COVID Shield supported proposals to ban caroling during the 2020 Christmas season due to the danger of COVID-19 infections among children.

JTF COVID Shield commander Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said the groups was waiting for the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) on the proposals.

Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and National Task Force on COVID-19 Vice Chairman Eduardo Año also supported the caroling ban.

Earlier, Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba urged the national government to ban caroling as he believed this would prevent further transmission of COVID-19, which has so far infected 398,449 people in the country including 7,674 deaths.

The Department of Health called on the public to still follow health protocols during the holidays.

“May lumabas po na pag-aaral, this is just last week that we got it na naipakita po diyan ‘yong pagkanta ng malakas, ‘yan po ‘yong pinakamataas na porsyento or highest yield of the virus if you are infected, mas marami kang nailalabas,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

Metro Manila mayors earlier banned the conduct of Christmas parties amid the threat of COVID-19. -NB, GMA News