THE Philippine Department of Health on Tuesday, June 30, recorded 1,080 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the country, which brings the official tally of infected individuals to 37,514. Of the number, 858 were fresh cases, while 222 were late cases as the agency continues to clear its backlog of unvalidated cases. The DOH…
AFTER a World Health Organization report said that the Philippines recorded the fastest rise in coronavirus infections in the Western Pacific region over a two-week period, Malacañang has been on the defensive to disprove the findings. Data from the WHO showed that between June 16 and June 27, the country registered 8,143 infections — the…
The pandemic’s impact on the immigrant community presents more public health and financial risks for undocumented individuals and their families Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s presidency, his administration has made tightening immigration a key part of its agenda, including imposing restrictions on the public charge rule. The public charge rule, which has been…
AS of mid-June domestic workers are now included in workplace protections guaranteed by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA. The Health and Safety for All Workers Act, SB 1257, brings a historic end to the exclusion of household domestic workers from Cal/OSHA protections, which requires employers to provide safe and…
THE weather in Southern California is heating up but Los Angeles County residents won’t be able to head to the beach for the Fourth of July Weekend. Beaches in the county have been ordered to close starting Thursday, July 3 to Monday, July 6 in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, county…
IT’S been five months since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the first known case of COVID-19 in the United States — a Washington State man in his 30s who had arrived from a trip to Wuhan. Since then, cases have been climbing with California being the country’s new hotspot. On Thursday,…
As state pandemic rules relax, California sees a 69% rise of COVID-19 in two days forcing officials to consider tightening the rules again Amid the re-opening of businesses across Los Angeles County, the coronavirus pandemic has experienced a recent surge over the last few weeks resulting in a total of 93,232 cases reported Friday, June…
CLOSE to two million babies are expected to be born in the Philippines in the coming year due to the lack of access to contraceptives during the coronavirus lockdown, the Commission on Population and Development said on Thursday, June 25. The commission estimated the figure based on a study from the University of the Philippines…
Malacañang on Wednesday, June 24, said that seeking help from the Armed Forces of the Philippines to enforce the enhanced community quarantine in Cebu City should not be compared to being under martial law. “We’ve normally done this, resorted to asking the Armed Forces to perform civilian duties. So this is not martial law. This…
ALL Nevada residents and visitors are now required to wear face coverings while in public in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Governor Steve Sisolak announced this week. In his remarks on Wednesday, June 24, Sisolak said he signed a directive requiring everyone to wear face coverings while in public, including while…
In response to President Donald Trump’s usage of a racist term related to the coronavirus, Filipino American Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) and California Medical Association President Dr. Peter N. Bretan released a joint statement denouncing the president’s choice of words. Trump recently used the racist term “kung flu” at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on…
THE World Health Organization reported 183,020 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, June 21, the largest single-day increase of the disease by count. According to the United Nations health agency, Brazil recorded the most cases with 54,771, followed by the United States at 36,617. There were a total of 8,708,008 COVID-19 cases with 461,715 fatalities worldwide…
Despite early statements alluding to the possible extended lockdown, California lawmakers re-open dine-in restaurants and grooming services Four months after cities and states across the United States first began shutting due to the coronavirus pandemic, businesses and public places are quickly reopening despite the increase in cases and deaths associated with the virus. Los Angeles…
THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday, June 19, reported 37 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, among overseas Filipinos, bringing the total number of infected individuals to 6,128. The agency also recorded 11 new fatalities and six recoveries, which raises the tallies for dead and recovered persons to 483 and…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has decided to extend the general community quarantine on Metro Manila until June 30, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. Aside from Metro Manila, several areas in Luzon including Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Santiago City in Cagayan Valley (Region 2); Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Tarlac, Olongapo City in Central Luzon (Regoin 3);…
AS California proceeds with its stages of reopening, Los Angeles County remains the hardest-hit area in the state as it surpassed the 75,000 mark of confirmed coronavirus cases on Tuesday, June 17. County officials announced 1,337 additional cases of COVID-19 and 33 new deaths, bringing the total to 75,084 positive cases and 2,959 deaths. This…
As protests continue to draw large crowds of individuals across Los Angeles County, officials are urging participants to get tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. “We’re still in the midst of a pandemic,” county public health director Barbara Ferrer said on Monday, June 8. “COVID-19 remains easy to transmit… Every single…
The Philippines has welcomed home over 35,000 overseas Filipinos since the coronavirus outbreak, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Friday, June 5. At least 13,566 land-based OFs have been repatriated while 21,829 are cruise ship crews, the agency reported. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said that more repatriates from Japan, France, Dubai, Abu…
California now has 117,687 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 4,361 deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health. As of June 2, local health departments have reported 10,293 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 63 deaths statewide. As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, the California Department of Public Health…
The Philippine Consulate General in New York — just as it was preparing to reopen — shuttered and boarded up its glass windows on Monday, June 1 as New York braced for more widespread looting and violent protests. “In light of reports of looting and break-ins in the vicinity of the Philippine Center, and as…
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, June 2, reported 12 new cases of the novel coronavirus among overseas Filipinos, bringing the total number of infected individuals to 5,230. It also recorded five new deaths from the Middle East, raising the death toll to 347. “With only a few countries across three major geographical…
U.S.-based travelers who were slated to join this year’s Very Important Pinoy Tour to various Philippine destinations may receive a refund, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles announced on Monday, June 1. The annual tour — formerly called the Ambassador’s Tour — brings Filipinos from across the U.S. back to the Philippines, and was set…
SINCE March, 74 health care workers of Filipino ancestry have died of COVID-19 in the United States. The number is nearly double the fatalities of individuals working in the same sector back in the Philippines. In the United Kingdom, where around 20,000 Filipinos are employed in the national health care system, 41 deaths have been…
LOS Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently honored a Filipina American registered nurse who died of COVID-19 after coming out of retirement to rejoin the front lines once the outbreak hit the city. During his daily briefing on Friday, May 22, the mayor spoke about Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega, 63, the first health care professional to succumb…
Metro Manila will be shifting to a more relaxed general community quarantine on June 1, according to a recent announcement from President Rodrigo Duterte. “You know, the NCR (National Capital Region) will now be placed under the general community quarantine or the GCQ starting June 1,” he said in his public address aired over state-run…
NATIONAL carrier Philippine Airlines is finalizing plans for June flights, after President Rodrigo Duterte announced that Metro Manila will be transitioning to a more relaxed general community quarantine starting on June 1. “Philippine Airlines welcomes the opportunity to resume regular commercial operations following the Philippine government decision to upgrade certain areas of the country, including…
TWENTY-FOUR overseas Filipinos have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of infected individuals to 2,845, according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs’ latest tally on Friday, May 29. The agency also recorded six new fatalities in Europe and the Middle East, raising the death toll to 340. Meanwhile, 11 Filipinos abroad successfully…
CALIFORNIA Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday, May 29 announced that Los Angeles County — one of the most concentrated hubs for COVID-19 in the country — can now reopen restaurants, barbershops and salons, signaling a possible return to normal life with the addition of social distancing and safety guidelines that all residents should follow. “This…
A NEW Los Angeles City Council motion is seeking to use $100 million in federal funding for the city’s Emergency Renters Assistance Program. The proposal, filed by Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez on Wednesday, May 27, is said to be the largest rent relief program of any city in the U.S. “From the…
Quit smoking while staying at home For many of us, the coronavirus means staying at home for an extended period of time. While it may be disappointing to hear that events are being cancelled, these measures are necessary to help slow down the spread of the outbreak. At the same time, being at home gives…
