BY AARON RECUENCO
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said he will propose a ban on caroling this Yuletide season amid the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Based on studies and statistics, the spread of COVID-19 is more likely to occur in mass singing like choir and caroling because singers have to remove their masks as they sing and viruses are released through aerosols,” said Año who is also the vice chairman of the National Task Force on COVID-19.
“I would recommend that to be implemented nationwide. We are still in extra ordinary time,” he added.
The Joint Task Force COVID Shield also supported the position of Año, saying caroling is too dangerous for children who may be encouraged they would see anyone doing it in their respective community.
Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, commander of the JTF COVID Shield, said that while they understand that caroling is one of the traditional ways of celebrating Christmas in the Philippines, the current situation is not ideal time to allow it.
“Caroling has always been part of the Filipino tradition, I believe each and every one of us has his or her funny and meaningful stories of caroling especially when we were children. This is what makes the Christmas of every Filipino memorable and exciting one,” said Eleazar.
“But the situation is currently different. We are facing a serious threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and we in the JTF COVID Shield believe that it is in the health interest of everybody if we could just stay home and enjoy the Yuletide season with our family,” he added.
But Eleazar said they will wait for the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) on this matter. (Aaron Recuenco)
