May 9 polls a potential ‘super spreader’ event — Comelec
CORONAVIRUS disease (COVID-19) infections in Metro Manila are rising, the independent OCTA Research said yesterday as it noted a seven percent uptick in reported cases during the period April 24 until 30.
In a social media post, OCTA fellow Guido David said the seven-day average in new cases in Metro Manila increased from 79 (April 17 to 23) to 85 (April 24 to 30).
The reproduction rate in the region also increased from only 0.66 the previous week to 0.79 last week.
The NCR’s positivity rate remained at 1.4 percent over an average of 11,544 tests per day, David said.
The OCTA last week upgraded the COVID-19 classification in Metro Manila to “low risk” from “very low risk” as of April 27.
The shift in the classification rate came on the heels of the detection of the first BA.2.12 Omicron subvariant in the Philippines. The case involved a 52-year-old female foreign traveler who was confined at a hospital in Baguio City. Contact tracing by the city government of Baguio showed she had 44 close contacts during her brief stay in the country.
SUPER SPREADER
As cases in Metro Manila gradually rise, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday said the May 9 elections could be a potential super spreader event as COVID-19 patients will not be barred from casting their votes.
In a virtual press forum, Elections Commissioner George Garcia said it is likely that the virus would be transmitted inside voting centers, much like what is happening during the ongoing campaign sorties, if sick patients come in to vote.
“Such observations could be correct. Everything happening right now, including the campaign activities, are potentially super spreader events,” said Garcia.
“You can say the virus might spread. But if they are in the list and they are lined up, they can vote. That’s our policy,” he added.
Garcia said voting is a constitutional right of every registered voter and the Comelec cannot bar registered voters from participating in the activity.
“Similarly, we don’t have an existing law that states that a confirmed case of COVID-19 cannot be allowed to vote,” he also said.
He said this is the reason why the Commission will neither require presentation of COVID-19 vaccine cards nor negative RT-PCR or antigen tests from voters.
“In case we prohibited COVID-19 patients from voting, for sure, we would be questioned on what was our basis for such a policy,” he said.
Instead of asking the Comelec to prohibit COVID-19 patients from voting, he said it would be best if local officials will prevent them from leaving their quarantine or isolation facilities.
“It is no longer our fault that they were able to leave their isolation and line up to vote despite being COVID positive,” said Garcia.
For their part, he said they have already established isolation polling places (IPPs) in every voting center where voters with COVID-19 symptoms can cast their votes.
“They will be brought there. We have staff members with personal protective equipment to attend to them and bring them their ballots from their polling precincts,” said Garcia.
The Department of Health has earlier expressed concerns that the virus might spread come the May 9 polls as suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients will be allowed to vote.
