It’s not uncommon to see Filipinos celebrating the Christmas holidays by belting out rock ballads using their home karaoke machine. But the national government today asked people to stop this (fun) practice because it would supposedly lead to the spread of COVID-19.
“It’s already proven that COVID-19 can spread through videoke or karaoke. So everybody is discouraged to stop videoke and karaoke activities,” Interior Secretary Epimaco Densing said in a virtual press briefing organized by the Department of Health.
Read: All In: Duque willing to be first to get COVID-19 vax
“We are asking our local government units, to issue executive orders, and local ordinances or resolutions prohibiting karaoke and videoke this season,” Densing added.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque warned last month that there could possibly be a surge of COVID-19 cases after the Christmas season. He said that the government had already prepared a contingency plan should this scenario occur.
The Philippine Food and Drug Administration said that a COVID-19 vaccine could become available in the country by March, but only if drug manufacturers apply for a license by next month. The Duterte government aims to vaccinate about 60 to 70 million people in three to five years. This includes 35 million people in a “priority list,” composed of healthcare workers, police, military, indigents, and essential workers in the Departments of Education and Social Work and Development.
The country has the second-highest number of COVID cases in Southeast Asia, with 442,785, including 408,790 recoveries and 8,670 deaths.
