No Christmas party, caroling, and large family reunions this Christmas season, according to DILG.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday said that there would be no Christmas party, no caroling, and no large family reunions this Christmas season.
The government was discouraging large family reunions during Christmas season in order to avoid a sudden increase in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines.
During a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte and other Cabinet members at the Malago clubhouse on Monday night, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said that big family reunions were considered as “mass gatherings” that were currently prohibited by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).
Año also said that any holiday celebration should instead be kept among immediate family members in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection.
“Katulad po ng plano na hindi po papayagan ang Christmas party, hindi rin papayagan ang Christmas caroling, wala pong mass gathering. Iyon pong family reunion ay isang considered na mass gathering,” he said.
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The said holiday restrictions, according to Año, were among the proposals of local government units in Metro Manila in order to curb the further spread of COVID-19 in communities during the holidays.
Also during the meeting with President Duterte, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III appealed anew to the public to keep safe during the Christmas season.
The Philippines had recorded over 431,000 coronavirus cases with 8,392 deaths as of November 30, 2020.
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