Año to recommend Christmas caroling ban due to COVID-19
MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Sunday he will recommend the banning of Christmas caroling nationwide amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Based on studies and statistics, the spread of COVID-19 is more likely to occur in mass singing like choir and caroling because singers have to remove their masks as they sing and viruses are released through aerosols,” Año said in a statement from the Joint Task Force COVID Shield, law enforcement of the country’s task force against the pandemic.
“SILG Año said he would recommend the ban on caroling nationwide,” the joint task force said. Año is also the vice-chairman of the National Task Force against COVID-19.
JTF commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar also backed the proposal. He said they are currently waiting for the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on the matter.
“Caroling has always been part of the Filipino tradition, I believe each and every one of us has his or her funny and meaningful stories of caroling especially when we were children. This is what makes the Christmas of every Filipino memorable and exciting one,” Eleazar said.
“But the situation is currently different. We are facing a serious threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and we in the JTF COVID Shield believe that it is in the health interest of everybody if we could just stay home and enjoy the Yuletide season with our family,” he added.
In coordination with Philippine National Police chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan, Eleazar has also instructed police commanders to coordinate with their respective local government units on the enforcement of the Christmas caroling ban.
Eleazar encouraged parents to explain to their children why they should skip the traditional caroling should it be banned by the government.
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