Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the use of police in hundreds of hotels and other COVID-19 quarantine locations in Metro Manila after a hotel guest arriving from the United States skipped isolation and tested positive on their return three days later.
Duterte, who said the hotels were not adequately equipped to enforce quarantine measures, ordered the interior department to deploy police officers in shifts to prevent such incidents from happening again.
“The police can guard hotels, and if they … [guests] If you insist on going out, there will be a riot, ”Duterte said during his nationally televised meeting with Cabinet officials that aired late Tuesday.
“Two police officers are used in quarantine hotels and must be aware of their duty to advise,” said Duterte. “You have the power to arrest them, there is no doubt about that.”
Meanwhile, due to the pandemic, the leaders of the Catholic Church on Wednesday again canceled the annual Black Nazarene procession, a festival that can attract more than 1 million devotees.
Following Duterte’s address, advisors to the president said Wednesday that at least two officers would be assigned to nearly 300 quarantine facilities and hotels in Metro Manila, while more officers would later be deployed across the country.
Duterte’s order came after the tourism department closed the Berjaya Makati Hotel because a guest broke quarantine rules.
The tourism department identified the guest as Gwyneth Chua, a Filipina who left the hotel on December 22, returned on Christmas Day, and tested positive for COVID-19 on December 26, according to media reports at a bar in a party district.
Berjaya staff said Chua, who was due to be quarantined by December 27 upon arrival, left the hotel 15 minutes after checking in, the tourism department said.
“Neither the hotel security staff nor the lobby drew attention to them, and there were no efforts to report the incident to the quarantine office after they returned three days later,” a press release said.
Filipino media reported that police had filed charges against Chua, her parents, a friend and five hotel employees about the incident. The media also noted that some of Chua’s contacts also tested positive for COVID-19.
The hotel, which publicly apologized for the incident, was fined twice its most expensive room rate and suspended as an accredited hotel, meaning it will no longer have an operating license until the case is resolved, according to the tourism department.
The hotel has 15 working days to appeal the decision, the state-run Philippine news agency reported.
When calling for the police presence, Duterte said hotel owners and employees may not be able to “legally discourage” hotel guests from violating quarantine protocols.
“The hotel owners or whoever works there cannot be tasked with enforcing the quarantine rules because only the government can enforce them,” he said.
Justice Minister Menardo Guevarra meanwhile cited a law authorizing personnel in a quarantined area.
The law prohibits acts that include the “failure to cooperate by any person or entity that should report or respond to a reportable disease or health event of public interest,” Guevarra said.
10,775 infections
The Philippines recorded 10,775 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, almost double the 5,434 infections the day before, according to the Department of Health. The last time the country had more daily cases on October 10 – 12,159. More recently, the Philippines recorded just 22 infections as of December 19.
The health department recorded 58 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the number of victims since the pandemic started to 51,662. In addition, the country has confirmed more than 2.87 million COVID-19 cases, second only to Indonesia in the region.
“The increase resulted from the increase in physical activity and the social mix during the holiday season. The DOH also earlier attributed the increase to the possibility of the local distribution of the Omicron variant, ”said the health department.
Earlier this week, authorities extended COVID-19 restrictions in Metro Manila and the provinces around the capital region due to the surge.
Worshipers surround the Black Nazarene’s carriage during the annual procession in Manila, January 9, 2020. [AP]
Black Nazarenes procession canceled
On Wednesday, Catholic Church leaders canceled the annual procession of the Black Nazarene, a wooden statue of Jesus Christ, after local health officials and the World Health Organization raised concerns that it could lead to a surge in COVID-19 cases. The procession was scheduled for January 9th.
The Black Nazarene was carved and brought to the Philippines in 1606 when it was a Spanish colony. The procession called Traslacion, one of the largest religious festivals in the country, typically attracts more than 1 million barefoot Catholic followers of the black wooden statue believed to be a miracle to walk the streets of Manila.
The government’s task force on COVID-19 also ordered the Quiapo Church, home of the Black Nazarene, to close this week and to broadcast masses online instead.
“Last Christmas we saw how quickly and how quickly COVID-19 rose due to social gatherings,” said Health Minister Francisco Duque in a statement on Wednesday.
“We would like to remind everyone to be vigilant and continue to practice required health protocols in the face of the looming threat of the Omicron variant and the continued rise in cases over the past few days. With this in mind, we call for all mass gatherings to be suspended.
“Our alarming situation requires safer ways to celebrate traditions. We appeal to supporters – please stay home to contain the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. Doing this is an act of kindness. We need to protect each other, especially our elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, ”he said.
