Iminumungkahi ni Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año ang pagbabawal sa pag-caroling ngayong Kapaskuhan sa gitna ng banta ng COVID-19.

“Based on studies and statistics, the spread of COVID-19 is more likely to occur in mass singing like choir and caroling because singers have to remove their masks as they sing and viruses are released through aerosols,” sinabi ni Año vice chairman rin ng National Task Force on COVID-19.

“I would recommend that to be implemented nationwide. We are still in extra ordinary time,” dagdag niya.

Sinuportahan din ng Joint Task Force COVID Shield ang posisyon ni Año, sinabi na ang pangangaroling ay masyadong mapanganib para sa mga bata na maaaring mahikayat dahil makikita nila ang sinumang gumagawa nito sa kanilang komunidad.

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Sinabi ni Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, commander ng JTF COVID Shield, na habang nauunawaan nila na ang caroling ay isa sa tradisyunal na paraan ng pagdiriwang ng Pasko sa Pilipinas, ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon ay hindi mainam na oras upang payagan ito.

“Caroling has always been part of the Filipino tradition. This is what makes the Christmas of every Filipino memorable and exciting one,” sinabi ni Eleazar.

“But the situation is currently different. We are facing a serious threat of COVID-19 and we in the JTF COVID Shield believe that it is in the health interest of everybody if we could just stay home and enjoy the Yuletide season with our family,” dagdag niya.

Sinabi ni Eleazar na hihintayin nila ang desisyon ng Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases sa bagay na ito.