This All Soul’s Day, don’t BYOB.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona advised adults to not bring babies and small children with them to the cemetery, to lessen the risk of contracting diseases. He is also dissuading the public from buying food sold in cemeteries for All Souls’ Day, saying contamination is usually present when food is prepared and sold by hawkers, making its patrons at risk of suffering food poisoning and diarrhea, among a host of diseases, reports Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The official urged people going to the cemetery to bring their own food, particularly the ones that don’t easily spoil, as well as water.
As for public hospitals, all facilities under the Department of Health were placed under white alert, meaning all staff are on standby, according to Ona. This means public hospitals must free up its resources to accommodate as much patients as these can.
Photo: James Ong. Sari-sari store inside Manila Chinese Cemetery.
