IATF urged to ban street caroling amid COVID-19 pandemic

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba is urging the national government to ban street caroling during the Christmas season this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Raffy Tima’s report on Balitanghali on Thursday, Mamba believes banning street caroling would prevent the further spread of the virus, which has so far affected 388,137 people with 7,367 deaths.

“Karamihan kasi ng mga carolers namin dito, they're not even from our place. ‘Yong pagpunta nila from one house to the other, natatakot kami doon because it might cause the upsurge of COVID cases,” Mamba said.

He said the local government could issue an ordinance regarding the matter, but it would be more effective if it would come from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the government's policy-making body in the COVID-19 response.

“At least they know that there is a medical and scientific basis of what we are trying to ask dahil ang hirap nito eh. It’s a… tradisyon ito eh na ginagawa every year,” Mamba said.

National Task Force COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said he supports the idea and would recommend it in the next IATF meeting.

“It is the prerogative of the LGU because as we have said, the local government executives are the most knowledgeable people that can protect their constituents, what is best for them,” Galvez said.

Metro Manila mayors are discouraging the conduct of Christmas parties amid the threat of COVID-19. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/KBK, GMA News