MANILA – As much as possible, the public should just hold Christmas parties among members of the same household to curb the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said.
According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, inviting people from different households could lead to possible COVID-19 spread.
“‘Wag na muna magkaroon ng pagtitipon-tipon… ‘wag na muna magkaroon ng pagpunta sa kamag-anakan this coming holiday dahil ‘yan ay napaka-risky at maaring magdulot ng pagtaas uli ng kaso sa ating bansa,” Vergeire said.
“Party within the household lamang,” she added. “Household parties should observe minimum health protocols such as physical distancing. Huwag na muna buffet-style na kainan.”
Vergeire also discouraged both national government agencies and local government units from conducting outreach programs since such activities could draw crowds.
However, the DOH official said if holding such programs cannot be avoided, minimum health standards must be enforced such as observing physical distancing, wearing face masks and shields and limiting the number of people in a venue./PN
