Malacañang on Wednesday, July 15, announced that Metro Manila will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until July 31. According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Duterte initially agreed with the recommendation of the University of the Philippines (UP) to place Metro Manila back under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). However, the president changed…
CLARK County on Thursday, July 16 reached a new record for additional coronavirus cases within a 24-hour period as 1,315 cases were announced. Thursday marked the highest one day uptick in reported COVID-19 cases since March, the Southern Nevada Health District said. The county has 26,926 total cases, and 507 deaths as five new fatalities…
Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, Filipino Americans across the country have shown their bayanihan spirit by supporting workers on the front lines of the pandemic and families in need. In the Bay Area, non-profit economic development and arts organization Kultivate Labs launched the #FilipinosFeedtheFrontLines campaign in April to raise…
FOREIGN nationals with long-term visas will be allowed entry into the Philippines starting August 1. Malacañang Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. made this announcement on Friday, July 17, saying that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases reached this decision after its meeting on Thursday, July 16. This also applies to…
THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, July 15, registered 43 additional cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) among Filipinos abroad, bringing the official count to 8,915. Thirty-four new recoveries were also recorded by the agency, which raises the total number of recovered patients to 5,311. “With 43 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 34 new…
After receiving backlash and pressure from universities, students, and technology companies, the Trump administration on Tuesday, July 14, reversed a policy that prohibited international university students from continuing their studies in the United States if their colleges went fully online. The directive — announced last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — made it…
California Governor Gavin Newsom this week announced another round of closures, from bars to indoor shopping malls, as positive cases and hospitalizations associated with the coronavirus continue to be reported across the state. The order, made in coordination with the California Department of Public Health on Monday, July 13, directed the closure of indoor operations…
HOUSE Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Tuesday, July 14, filed a resolution proposing that the government temporarily use ABS-CBN’s former television and radio frequencies for effective distance learning. This came after the House of Representatives rejected the bills seeking to grant the network giant a fresh 25-year franchise. Voting 70 to 11, the House…
Supervisor David Canepa of San Mateo County reminded county residents to follow guidelines issued by state, county and city officials designed to combat the wide spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community in a July 2020 newsletter sent out by his office. Canepa, who represents District 5, said that the recent order by…
Filipino parents, teachers support closures, say school districts should prioritize health and safety As the coronavirus pandemic rages on with no end in sight, the Los Angeles and San Diego school districts announced on Monday, July 13 that campuses and classrooms will remain closed at the start of the next academic year. The Los Angeles…
4,244 new cases, 73 new deaths Los Angeles County on Tuesday, July 14 broke its single-day record for the highest number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, signaling a disturbing turn of events as the statewide situation continues to worsen. The LA County Public Health announced 4,244 confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 140,307….
The World Health Organization on Sunday, July 12, reported another record increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 230,370 over a 24-hour period. The previous WHO record for new cases was 228,102 reported on Friday, July 10. Of the new figure, 66,281 were from the United States, topping WHO’s list among countries…
When the current COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States, many university students found themselves wondering whether they’d return to campus from spring break or continue the rest of the semester away from campus to stay safe from the virus spread. As students again played the waiting game during summer break, international students were suddenly hit…
US tops 3 million COVID-19 cases Despite having downplayed airborne transmission of COVID-19 as rare, the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged on Thursday, July 9 the possibility of the coronavirus lingering in the air and spreading between people in crowded indoor spaces. The change in stance came after over 200 experts earlier this week signed…
Up to 50,000 households can be helped for two months In an effort to address the mounting financial insecurity among families during the pandemic, the City of Los Angeles has unveiled a new $103 million rent relief program to help lower income renters stay in their homes, the City of LA Housing and Community Investment…
THE CONSORTIUM of big businesses pushing for the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recently announced that its negotiations with the Philippine government ended in a stalemate, threatening the downfall of the project. “The consortium proposed changes to update the NAIA project’s framework to ensure the bankability of the NAIA project,” it said…
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, July 8, logged 74 additional cases of the novel coronavirus among Filipinos abroad, bringing the total count of infections to 8,762. “Today, the DFA reports that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad is now at 8,762 with 74 new cases mostly in the…
NEW Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is requiring residents of the state to wear masks in public in order to control the continued resurgence of coronavirus infections in the state in the past few days. “Requiring masks outdoors is a step I had hoped we would not have to take. By and large, New Jerseyans have…
Napa, San Benito and Yolo counties now added to COVID-19 county watch list As cases and hospitalization numbers increase, California officials are once again doubling down on its statewide response to mitigate the continued spread of COVID-19. The COVID-19 outbreak, this week, continues to worsen in the Golden State as 11,694 new cases were recorded…
Orgs, leaders call on further investigations, pressure Newsom to enact solutions to protect AAPIs from hate incidents OVER 800 incidents of anti-Asian hate, harassment, bullying and violence have been reported in California alone since March, marking a disturbing touchstone of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a new report by the Los Angeles-based Asian Pacific Policy…
The Philippines trails behind Indonesia with the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia. The country’s Department of Health recorded 2,099 new infections on Monday, June 6, bringing the official count of infections to 46,333, surpassing Singapore’s 44,983. Indonesia remained the top Southeast Asian country with the highest number of cases with 64,958 cases….
The county reports a whopping 7,232 increase in cases over a three-day period Despite warnings from lawmakers and officials that the public should continue to practice social distancing and pandemic safety precautions, Californians continue to socialize at newly opened establishments, according to new and improved data processing. The rise in cases came to a head…
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 is now open for international flights, as of Wednesday, July 8. “As global aviation endeavors to return to normalcy, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) gears up by resuming international flight operations in NAIA Terminal 3,” read the statement posted on Facebook. It added, “After temporarily closing its doors…
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday, July 6, reported no new cases of the coronavirus among Filipinos abroad. It also announced that no new fatalities were recorded. The number of overseas Filipinos infected with COVID-19 remains at 8,679, while the official death count is still at 577. The tally of recoveries is 5,201….
Beaches, bars, indoor dining close in LA County FOR the sixth time in less than two weeks, daily coronavirus cases have reached a new single-day high as the Fourth of July holiday approaches. The United States reported a new high of 55,220 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, July 3, surpassing Wednesday’s high of 52,789. According…
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, July 2, recorded 108 new cases of the coronavirus among Filipinos abroad, which brings the total number of infected individuals to 8,614. “Today, the DFA reports an increase in new confirmed COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad, mostly in Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East. This…
GOV. Phil Murphy stopped the supposed reopening of restaurants in the state this week for a few reasons, among them the violations in some restaurants that have opened for Phase 2 a couple of weeks ago soaring infection rates from the states that have reopened across the country. New Jersey allowed outdoor dining on June…
THE World Health Organization on Tuesday, June 30, clarified that it did not say that the Philippines had the fastest rise in COVID-19 cases in the Western Pacific Region. According to WHO Country Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the WHO does not compare countries or make assessments based on countries’ performance. “It is…
STARTING July 1, countries in the European Union (EU) will open their borders to nonessential travelers from 15 countries that are deemed to have the coronavirus under control. The Philippines, as well as the United States, did not make the cut in the list. EU countries will begin lifting the travel restrictions at the external…
WHEN the coronavirus hit Los Angeles County, John Eric Swing, the newly appointed executive director of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), led a food delivery project for seniors and families in Historic Filipinotown. Swing, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who joined the non-profit organization in 2015 and served as its director of small business…
