Reversing his earlier decision, Duterte said that it would be too risky to hold face-to-face classes amidst the discovery of the new strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The new strain has caused some countries in Europe to instill stricter lockdowns and issue travel bans to prevent its spread.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said top officials from the American drug firm gave its proposal during a meeting with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña on Friday. However, she did not reveal any details of the talks.
Town mayor Riza Pamorada, in a press statement, said that they are now coordinating with the Caloocan local government unit (LGU) and Office of the Vice President to provide an isolation facility for the mother of the one-month-old baby.
As anxiety and frustration mount, widespread testing for COVID-19 has, almost overnight, become the common call of online political commentary, a bellwether of how well (or not) a government is dealing with the crisis.
