SENATORS on Monday opposed the Department of Health鈥檚 (DoH) decision to听stop听the posting of daily听coronavirus听case bulletin in social media cards听and听situation reports听through听PDF files听starting Jan. 1, in听an听attempt to streamline public communication.听

DoH,听in a statement听on Monday,听said it will only be posting daily case updates through the coronavirus tracker found on its website,听which is updated at 4 p.m. every day.听鈥淭his public tracker, which has been operational since the start of the pandemic, contains all information being provided in the case bulletin and the daily situation report.鈥听

The department听also听assured that it will continue to provide the public with the latest information regarding the coronavirus听disease听2019 (COVID-19) situation along with other equally valuable health programs.听

鈥淚 think that it’s a mistake that the听DoH听will stop announcing bulletins as it’s a tool for us, the public, to know the positivity rate of infections in the country,鈥澨齭aid Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri in a Viber message to reporters.听

鈥淚 respectfully urge the DoH to continue these announcements, so that we may be guided accordingly. Now more than ever, with the Omicron variant, we should be more on guard for the public鈥檚 safety,鈥澨齢e added.听

Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva said the听daily bulletins are important in keeping vigilance up.听鈥淭hese daily COVID bulletins are a reminder to the public that the problem is not yet over and that we must continue to be careful and practice safety protocols,鈥澨齢e told reporters in a Viber message.听

Senator Francis听N.听Pangilinan, who is running听for听vice president next year, noted the importance of daily bulletins in informing the general public.听

鈥淎ccurate information in the spread of the disease is crucial in knowing whether or not the spread of the virus is being effectively addressed or not,鈥澨齢e said in a Viber message.听鈥斕鼳lyssa Nicole O. Tan

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR