ILOILO – Street carolers may not be doing their usual rounds this Christmas.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. may prohibit the chirpy caroling tradition as the province grapples with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to the governor, COVID-19 is more likely to spread in mass singing like choir and caroling because singers have to remove their facemasks and viruses are released through aerosols. He cited the study of researchers from Lund University in Sweden.
If the caroling ban pushes through, Defensor encouraged parents to explain to their children why there is a need to skip the tradition at least for this year.
Defensor is also studying the possibility of banning fireworks display.
“Wala pa man ang Christmas. Lantawon ta anay kon ano ang aton buhinan sa Christmas naton. May mga suggestion [to ban]fireworks pero waay pa gid na naton ma-finalize,” said Defensor.
Mayors suggested it would be too complicated to host a “public spectacle” under health protocols set out to avert COVID-19 transmission, he revealed.
“We will continue to get feedback from stakeholders and our mayors,” said Defensor.
On Monday, the Department of Health also urged the public to avoid doing caroling during this holiday season as “singing out loud can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission.”
Interior secretary Eduardo Año, meanwhile, recommended to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to impose a nationwide ban on caroling this year.
“We are still in extra ordinary times,” he said./PN
