GENTLE REMINDER. Two marshals hold a placard reminding visitors at the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach to observe minimum health protocols on Monday (Oct. 25, 2021). The Manila Police District has been tasked to deploy more police personnel to ensure crowd control in the area, which draws a lot of visitors, especially during weekends. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)
MANILA – A health official on Friday urged persons who visited the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach over the weekend to monitor themselves for symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In a media briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire advised the visitors who are experiencing any of the Covid-19 symptoms to self-isolate immediately. She also reminded them to wear face masks inside their homes.
“Laging alamin kung tayo ay may nararanasang pagsakit ng ulo, pagsakit ng lalamunan, inuubo, sinisipon, nawalan ng pang-amoy, nawalan ng panglasa, lahat po iyan i-monitor natin (Always monitor if you experience sore throat, coughs, colds, no sense of taste, no sense of smell, let’s monitor all that),” Vergeire said.
Last October 24, the Manila Baywalk Coordinating Office recorded "tens of thousands of people", including children accompanied by their parents who visited the beach.
Consequently, the Palace appealed to the public to observe the minimum public health standards when visiting the beach which opened on October 19.
“Konting sakripisyo lang po iyan, mainit, mahirap huminga pero kayo naman ay makakasiguro na 'di magkakahawaan diyan sa inyong mga pamilya (That’s just a little sacrifice, you might feel warm and uncomfortable to breathe but that will prevent infection in your family),” she said.
Vergeire added that the Department of Health “is not likely mandated to give an opinion” on Mayor Francisco Domagoso's suggestion to file charges against Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) officials responsible for the overcrowding at the Dolomite Beach.
“We leave that to the appropriate agency of government,” she added.
Following the overcrowding, the DENR established additional crowd control measures for the Dolomite Beach to better prevent possible spread of Covid-19 while enabling the conduct of maintenance and other works. (PNA)
