Singing your heart out in videoke? Wear a mask, Palace says

Malacañang on Friday urged people singing their hearts out in videoke to wear face mask as a precaution against COVID-19.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque gave the advice after Metro Manila was placed under Alert Level 2 from November 5 to 21, a quarantine protocol that allows establishments to operate at 50% capacity indoors provided that employees and adult patrons are fully vaccinated and at 70% for outdoor setting.

"Sa ngayon, pinapayagan na entertainment [venues] up to 50% [capacity] para sa bakunado lamang. Sa akin po, magi-ingat pa rin ako (Indoor entertainment venues are only allowed to operate at 50% capacity at most. As far as I am concerned, I will be careful)," Roque said.

"Kung pupuwede kumanta naka-face mask, eh kumanta kayo naka-face mask (If you can sing while wearing a face mask, then do so)," he added.

Roque said establishments should require its adult customers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in addition to observing minimum public health standards to sustain the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases amid eased restrictions.

“If you are going to allow the unvaccinated inside, there will be COVID-19 transmission, we will raise our Alert Level system again and businesses will be closed again. We have been repeatedly saying that eased restrictions does not mean we can be complacent,” he said.

“As long as COVID-19 is around, there is a chance that the number of COVID-19 cases will spike again. For us to maintain an Alert Level 2, we have to strictly observe wearing of mask, frequent washing of hands, observe social distancing and get vaccinated,” Roque added.

Independent monitoring group OCTA Research said Friday that the number of new COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region has returned to its level in February with a 7-day average of 493.

Likewise, OCTA said that the COVID-19 reproduction number in the region has also decreased to 0.40.

The vaccination coverage on a nationwide scale, however, is still lagging with only 28.7 million Filipinos fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so far.

The government's target is to fully vaccinate 80% of 109 million Filipinos by May 9, 2022 to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.—AOL, GMA News