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All public and private cemeteries, memorial parks and columbariums will be closed for a week during the commemoration of Undas next month.
The Inter-Institutional Working Group for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) issued the decision on Thursday in its Resolution 72, 2020 Series as part of its measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 in mass gatherings.
According to the new issue, the nationwide closures will go into effect from October 29 to November 4, 2020.
However, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said people will still be able to visit the graves of their deceased loved ones before or after that date as long as they follow the necessary guidelines.
“The number of visitors will be limited to a maximum of 30 percent of the capacity of the venue,” Roque said in an online briefing on Friday.
Visitors will also need to wear masks and face shields, as well as observe social distancing.
Roque noted that children and seniors, who are generally not allowed to leave their homes in areas under community quarantine, will be able to visit cemeteries, memorial parks and columbariums.
Filipinos traditionally commemorate Undas, or All Saints’ Day, by visiting cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbariums to remember and pray for their deceased loved ones.
Antigen test
Apart from the guidelines for the celebration of the Undas, Resolution 72 of the IATF also approved the recommendation of the Technical Advisory Group of the Department of Health to initiate pilot studies for the use of Rapid Antigen Tests.
If approved, Roque said the measure will be a game changer as it will serve as a faster and cheaper option for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, which is currently the standard for gold for Covid-19 testing.
He explained that the antigen test will continue to rely on swab samples and a machine for processing, but noted that the result will be known in 10 to 20 minutes, which is shorter than RT-PCR, which could take one to two days. .
“The precision of the result doesn’t vary much from that or from the PCR tests,” said Roque.
In addition, he also said that the price of antigen kits is less between P1,000 and P1,250.
He said that the city of Baguio will be one of the areas covered by the pilot study, so people who will be traveling must first undergo an antigen test.
