Police with sticks to reinforce the distancing; stubborn people beware

Manila, Philippines – The Joint Task Force COVID Shield will deploy officers with sticks on “social distancing patrols” to make sure people stay a good distance from each other, in accordance with regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to the commander of the task force, Lieutenant. General Cesar Binag.

Binag said the meter-long sticks or “yantok”, which are considered a weapon in Philippine martial arts, would be used by patrollers to measure the distance between people in gatherings and to hit those who are stubborn and refuse. to follow the regulations.

“They will wear yantok. It will be 1 meter long and will be used to discipline, measure or beat the stubborn, ”Binag said at the Laging Handa briefing.

He said the deployment of social distancing patrols was a directive from the Chief of the Philippine National Police, General Debold Sinas.

More cops in crowded areas

An April 2020 press release found on the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) website mentioned the deployment of a social distancing patrol at each station.

The patrol consisted of two to four policemen equipped with sticks and in charge of controlling the areas where people gather.

“The maximized presence of personnel in appropriate uniforms, masks and gloves will be called ambassadors for social distancing. This initiative aims to minimize the contagion of this virus especially in the places of convergence and, ultimately, guarantee the continuous delivery of the police service extended to all of Metro Manila, ”reads the NCRPO statement, which Sinas led in that moment.

Binag said that the deployment of police and soldiers in convergence areas in Metro Manila will double for greater visibility.

These areas include public markets, shopping malls, churches, ports and public transportation, he said.

Police chiefs will also ask pastors in their areas to celebrate more masses at dawn, to ensure that attendance is spread out so people don’t crowd churches.

Virus case update

On Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded an additional 934 cases, bringing the number of cases nationwide to 436,345.

This is the second time in exactly one month that the country experienced a triple-digit increase in new infections.

Although 11 labs were unable to submit their data on time, the positivity rate was 4.7 percent, slightly below the World Health Organization’s benchmark of less than 5 percent.

Right to choose the vaccine

Another 148 patients have recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of survivors to 399,457. But an additional 63 patients died, bringing the current death toll to 8,509.

Recoveries and deaths left the country with 28,379 active cases, of which 85.4 percent are mild, 6.9 percent asymptomatic, 0.28 percent moderate, 2.5 percent severe, and 4 , 9 percent critical.

The DOH also said that those who will be given priority in the government’s vaccination program have the right to choose which vaccine to administer once they are available in the country.

“They will be given all this information about the benefits and effects of these vaccines, as well as what type of vaccine they will be given. They have the right to know the type of vaccine they will be given, ”said the Undersecretary of Health, María Rosario Vergeire.

So far, only three (Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca) out of a hundred companies developing a vaccine have shown their products to be effective but with varying degrees of effectiveness.

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