The Department of Health (DOH) has enjoined the public to its “Ligtas Christmas” campaign through practicing “healthier and safer options” on their holiday celebrations during the pandemic.
DOH Health Promotion Bureau Director Dr. Beverly Ho advised on Friday (Dec. 10) to only allow fully vaccinated individuals in the venue and to observe minimum public health standards.
“Because we all worked hard to get to this point na medyo mababa na po iyong kaso natin at marami-rami na po iyong nabakunahan, puwedeng-puwede po tayong mag-celebrate but we encourage everyone to celebrate safely,” she said.
In line with this, the DOH has listed several guidelines on the safe celebration of the Christmas season as mobility has been increased nationwide with the downgrade to Alert Level 2.
LOOK: Dr. Ho/DOH shares five things to do to celebrate the holidays in a safer way: Bakuna, air flow, mask, hugas, iwas. pic.twitter.com/IzZkjA7PbT
— PTVph (@PTVph) December 10, 2021
Airflow
It is advised to conduct activities outdoors, and by ensuring proper ventilation by opening windows, electric and exhaust fans when celebrating indoors.
“As much as possible we need to avoid indoor settings with poor ventilation,” Ho said.
Mask and hand hygiene
The DOH said masks and other protective equipment should be worn at all times and can be removed while eating.
“Pero kapag balik na sa celebration, sa mga palaro, then kailangan naka-mask na po,” she said.
She added that frequent handwashing must be practiced and that handwashing stations and hand sanitizers are present.
Distancing
For face-to-face gatherings, the venue capacity must adhere to the current policies of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) under the alert level system.
All areas in the country are under Alert Level 2 with an allowable indoor capacity for fully vaccinated individuals of at least 50% and expandable to up to 80%.
Ho said symptomatic individuals must not join physical gatherings.
“We also should avoid games or activities that will involve close contact interaction or those that involve loud singing, shouting or similar actions ‘no. Siyempre we still prefer pre-packed or plated meals ‘no para hindi po tayo lahat nagga-gather habang kumukuha ng pagkain,” she said.
No firecrackers
The DOH and other agencies also reminded the public to avoid firecrackers, and to instead watch community firework displays, and use safer alternatives.
It added that the public should be aware of first aid measures in case of firecracker accidents.
Meanwhile, the department told the public to eat healthily, stay hydrated, exercise, perform self-care activities, and help in ensuring a smoke-free environment. AG- bny
