Recent fires, heatwave may have hindered testing, leading to lower positivity rates As California faces a trio of disasters — wildfires, dangerous air quality and, of course, a global pandemic — this week’s statewide briefings provided a silver lining. As of Tuesday, Sept. 15, the COVID-19 test positivity rate in the Golden State is 3.5%,…
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, September 15, logged 15 additional cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the official tally of infections to 10,329. It also recorded 17 new recoveries, pushing the total number of recovered and discharged patients to 6,571. Meanwhile, only one fatality was reported by the agency, which raised…
AS the beloved holiday that embraces the horrific unusual, it’s fitting that Halloween will be celebrated against the norm this year. The Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health on Wed., Sept. 9 warned the public once again that massive holiday gatherings could bring about another surge in positive cases of the COVID-19 virus, the…
THE number of killings caused by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign worsened during the COVID-19 lockdown, New York-based Human Rights Watch said Wednesday, September 9. The international watchdog found that 155 people were killed by the police from April to July 2020, which is 50% higher than the 103 deaths from December 2019 to…
Restaurants in New Jersey has allowed indoor dining beginning last Friday, September 4. On Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that he is lifting the six-month ban and will allow indoor dining at restaurants at a limited capacity starting Sept. 30. “Reopening responsibly will help us restore one of our state’s key industries while…
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday, September 9, observed a rise in the number of overseas Filipinos who have recovered from the novel coronavirus as it recorded 49 new recoveries. “Figures today show another increase in the number of Filipinos abroad who have recovered from COVID-19, with 49 new recoveries in Asia…
HISTORIC Filipinotown in Los Angeles has experienced a disproportionately high rate of COVID-19 infections, yet when it comes to responding to the 2020 Census, the neighborhood’s response rate remains low. To tackle the two issues at hand, a pop-up event was held at the LA Downtown Medical Center — a Fil-Am co-owned hospital along West…
LOS Angeles County recorded 7 new deaths and 439 positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, September 8. Tuesday’s latest reports bring the total county cases to 249,241 and 6,036 deaths. Of the fatalities, three were over the age of 80, one person was between the ages of 65 and 79, and three were between the…
THIS week, Los Angeles County began allowing certain hair salons and barber shops to operate indoors. Effective Wednesday, Sept. 2, hair salons and barber shops may resume indoor services as long as they don’t exceed 25% occupancy and the business owners fully comply with safety protocols: 6 feet of physical distancing and face coverings for…
With the coronavirus pandemic hitting the Philippines hard, Filipinos have started flocking to Facebook groups to trade their possessions for food, a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP) found. “Online bartering groups have provided a lifeline to…Filipinos hit hard by the country’s months-long virus restrictions that started in March and have sent the economy plunging into…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a letter out to state officials this week asking them to prepare to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine by November 1, two days before the presidential election. “CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities, and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving…
THE University of California (UC) system will no longer be able to use SAT and ACT scores in evaluating its applicants for undergraduate admissions or scholarships, a superior court judge ruled this week. The ruling on Monday, August 31 comes long after critics of the tests claimed they inadvertently favored students from wealthier families over…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, August 31, paid tribute to Filipino front-line workers fighting against the novel coronavirus pandemic as the country commemorated National Heroes’ Day. “Today, we honor not only the valor of our forebears who fought for our mother land’s freedom, but also the heroism of those who risked their lives, fighting…
Fondly called “Mama Teng,” Maria Teresa Banson was revered as a mother figure to students and colleagues. Before migrating to Southern California in April 2005, she taught computer science and other subjects at St. Paul University, Iloilo City, Philippines. “Mama extended her motherly figure to her students at St Paul. She would guide and inspire…
With less than 30 days until the 2020 census response deadline, an upcoming event in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown neighborhood is part of the final push to have community members counted in the decennial enumeration. A drive-thru/walk-up census event will be held on Saturday, September 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at LA Downtown…
METRO Manila will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) for the entire month of September, President Rodrigo Duterte announced Monday, August 31. The provinces of Bulacan and Batangas, as well as the cities of Tacloban and Bacolod, will also be under GCQ until Sept. 30. Iligan City will be under the stricter modified enhanced community…
AMID the public’s frustration over lockdown measures, Los Angeles County officials are advising the public against Labor Day weekend celebrations outside of the home in order to avoid another increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the county has recorded 242,521 positive cases and 5,829 deaths as of Tuesday, Aug….
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has been named among the world’s top 10 safest airlines during the current coronavirus pandemic, according to a newly released database that looks at COVID-19 traveler health and safety protocols. Of the over 150 airlines evaluated by Safe Travel Barometer, PAL was listed as the ninth safest for both travelers as of…
Hair salons and barbershops allowed to reopen indoors starting Monday California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Friday, August 28 that California would be modifying how the state determines which counties can reopen. Moving away from the previous “watchlist” system, Newsom revealed California’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” which he described as “more stringent” and “steady.”…
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday, August 27, recorded no new fatalities due to COVID-19 among Filipinos abroad. As it stands, the death toll remained at 742 since Monday, August 24. Six new cases of COVID-19, on the other hand, were confirmed by the DFA, bringing the total number of infected overseas…
Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and every other country has seen the varying degrees of decimation to its tourism sector. Whether it is Italy, where tourism accounts for 6% of the country’s GDP or Palau where it generates almost 90% of all exports, countries are struggling…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, August 25, said there is no “magic bullet” to solve the country’s problems related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. “This is an update again, a weekly (report on) what we are trying to do. We will also continue to respond to the rising challenges in our pandemic, recalibrating our…
TWENTY-FIVE more cases of COVID-19 have been reported among overseas Filipinos, bringing the official number of infections to 10,028. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, August 25 released the latest statistics, which included 15 recoveries, which raises the total tally of recovered patients to 6,029. The death toll, meanwhile, remained at 742…
by Julie Appleby STATE officials and federal agencies warn there’s a new phone scam circulating: Some callers posing as COVID-19 contact tracers try to pry credit card or bank account information from unsuspecting victims. The grifters apparently are taking advantage of a genuine public health intervention that’s crucial to stopping the spread of the novel…
The total number of novel coronavirus cases among Filipinos around the world has surpassed the 10,000 mark as the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recorded 19 new infections on Monday, August 24. As of this writing, there are now 10,003 overseas Filipinos infected with COVID-19. The agency also logged 61 new recoveries, bringing the…
PHILIPPINE Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. on Monday, August 24, announced that doctors have cleared him to go home as he continues to recover from COVID-19. “Great news po! The doctors have cleared me for discharge. I am so excited to go home,” he said in a Facebook post. “Hindi pa po tapos ang aking…
TWO additional cases of the novel coronavirus among Filipinos abroad have been recorded by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday, August 21. This brings the official count of infections to 9,975. The agency did not record any new fatalities or recoveries. As of this writing, the death toll stands at 733 while…
Malacañang on Thursday, August 20, said that healthcare workers with overseas employment contracts as of March 8 will be allowed to leave the country. “The [COVID-19 task force] this afternoon decided that health professionals with papers, meaning [Overseas Employment Certificate] issued by the [Philippine Overseas Employment Administration] and employment contracts verified as of March 8,…
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday, August 20, recorded 14 additional cases of the novel coronavirus among overseas Filipinos, bringing the official tally of infections to 9,973.It also logged one new recovery, raising the number of recovered Filipinos to 5,860. Meanwhile, the death toll remained at 733 as there were no reports…
A new multilingual and multicultural COVID-19 testing site tailored for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community was unveiled this week in Oakland’s Chinatown. Located at Madison Park, the site features testing, information, guidance, and support services in 12 Asian languages, including Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Mongolian. Tests are available to everyone. Payment…
