1 January 6-12, 2022
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION
www.pnewstoday.com
THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961
Vol. 61 No. 22 January 6-12, 2022
NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST
NO ELECTION IN 2022? PLOY TO EXTEND DU30? COVID cases in PH skyrocket; worse still to come
Senate girds for crisis if polls reset By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief
MANILA – With only a month to the start of official campaign for national and local elective posts from the president down to councilor, the country is gripped with a plan to extend the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) which alPage 9 ready lapsed in October.
Newsom unveils new actions vs Covid-19 By Jo Erlinda Maufit
Gov. Newson SACRAMENTO – New corona virus (COVID-19) cases in California has soared to 5,191,438 as infections rise with the average daily count of new cases reaching 15,806 during the last seven days.
By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor
MANILA – The third wave of COVID-19 has started in the country, and the situation is as bad as can be imagined. Sparked by the Omicron variant, what started out as a handful of cases last week has skyrocketed to the thousands. In the middle of last week, only 318 new cases were recorded. As of Wednesday, Jan. 5, the total number of new Page 8 ELECTION CRISIS? Senate President Vicente So�o III and Sen. Panfilo Lac-
son are pushing for the elec�on of a new Senate president who will act the country’s president in case there will be no elec�on on May 9, 2022 and no President and Vice President are elected by June 30, 2022 when the terms of of President Duterte and VP Leni Robredo end as per the Cons�tu�on.
The state Department Health reported that deaths from the virus infection has reached 75,847 since the start of the pandemic as COVID-19 claims the lives of 45 Californians each day over the last seven days. Earlier, Governor Gavin Newsom announced new booster requirements and testing measures to better protect all Californians as the Omicron variant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain in the nation. The COVID-19 booster requirement for health care workers will mitigate potential staffing shortages while helping to safeguard the state’s hospital capacity and protect the health Page 8
Odette death toll surpasses 400; PHL at ‘high risk’ of COVID again aid, rehab pressed
By Claire Morales True MANILA - The Department of Health has classified the Philippines as “high risk” for COVID-19 again following the sharp increase in cases in the past two weeks even as the highly transmissible omicron variant has spread. Following the classification, Metro Manila or the National Capital Region, and the provinces of Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan were placed under the stricter Alert Level 3.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said during President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Talk to the People” public briefing that the country had a 448% 2-week growth rate in COVID-19 cases. The average daily attack rate (ADAR), meanwhile, was at 1.66. The country’s previous twoweek growth rate was minus 49%, while its ADAR was at 0.30. Duque added that between December 29, 2021 to January 4, the Philippines reported a daily average of 3,313 COVID-19 infections. He said this Page 8
QUEZON CITY—The death toll from Typhoon Odette has reached 407 with 82 still missing over the weekend as government and private groups stepped up distribution of calamity aid and relief goods and recovery from loss of power, water and telecommunications, among others. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Ricardo Jalad described Odeette as the most destructive storm to hit the country since super typhoon Yolanda over Page 8
2nd Pinay from US held for skipping quarantine
Unvaccinated in Metro restricted to homes VIEWS & COMMENTS
SHOWBIZ
Will my Social Kris confirms Security income be breakup; Bea protected if I file wedding soon? bankruptcy? By A�y. Lozano
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SPORTS
Hidilyn Diaz eyes 2024 Paris Olympics Page 21
$1.00= P51.10
as of January 6, 2022 1:40am
P3
P4
PESO-DOLLAR RATE
P2
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