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PNP bans public displays of affection, places focus on millennials for pandemic response

Apparently, the Philippine National Police believes that couples who engage in public displays of affection (PDA) and millennials have contributed to the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), in its latest bid to fulfil its duty to “serve and protect”, have placed an emphasis on banning public displays of affection (PDA) as a way to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, PNP Spokesperson Ildebrandi Usana said the ban on PDA is not a new policy, but them merely reiterating “one of the past rules on the implementation of health and safety protocols”.

He also stressed that PDA extends not just to couples but even friends and family members.

PNP cited infections spreading between family members as their basis for bringing their ban on PDA to the attention of the public.

A report from ABS-CBN also had Usana saying they will monitor the presence of those aged between 20 and 35 years old outdoors.

According to Usana, this age group represents a bulk of those who are always caught violating quarantine protocols in bars and tourist spots.

Both of these policies did not sit well with netizens, who rattled off responses that ranged from the comical…

https://twitter.com/jhnlrcha/status/1369548724653858819

… to nostalgia-inducing…

… to more serious discussions on why the PNP is the one giving the announcement.

https://twitter.com/pawawawofficial/status/1369544399374352386

Others raised the fact that the PNP just killed off 9 activists under the guise of a search warrant and allegations of being rebels.

PNP’s old-new rule has even reached the hallowed halls of Congress, with Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas questioning the PNP rule.

Recto asked the PNP to clarify their mandate on PDA, saying it looks like the national police force is declaring a war on love and not on COVID-19.

Brosas, meanwhile, blasted PNP officials for acting like quack doctors.

PNP’s rule may have some basis in fact, as families are seen as the source of the recent surge of COVID-19 cases.

In a report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine College of Emergency Medicine president Dr. Pauline Convocar said entire families are now visiting hospitals for consultations.

Convocar added that the recent surge of cases has resulted in hospitals once again resorting to tents instead of the more sterile emergency rooms.

This goes in conjunction with a decision from the Department of Health to meet with hospitals and consider opening up more beds for a possible surge of COVID-19 cases.

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