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Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Wednesday, January 12, 2022 brought to you by Wilcon Depot, the country's leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer. Shop conveniently 24/7 with Wilcon online store. Just go to shop.wilcon.com.ph.
READ: Govt ready for Alert Level 4
The government is ready for the possible implementation of stringent measures under Alert Level 4 if the coronavirus situation in the country worsens, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
READ: Health workers buck revised Covid rules
A group of health workers opposed on Tuesday the recent directive of the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency of Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to shorten the isolation and quarantine periods from 7 to 10 days to a maximum of five days, calling it "inhumane."
READ: Concepcion helps traders purchase molnupiravir
Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd is working with suppliers of molnupiravir to help small businesses — whose frontline workers have been infected with Covid-19 — gain access to the antiviral drug.
Meanwhile, in other news....
READ: Policemen ignore robbery call to hunt Pokemon
Two US police officers, who went off to hunt for Pokemon instead of responding to a robbery, have been fired.
READ: Duterte: Step up RT-PCR testing
Amid the surge in coronavirus infections, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Department of Health to ramp up the testing capacity of facilities conducting reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR testing.
READ: Robredo willing to unify with other bets
Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo remains open to unification with presidential candidates who are not allied with the Duterte administration.
READ: Isko to hospitals: Admit only critical patients
Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso ordered the six city-run hospitals, including the facility in Rizal Park, Luneta, to admit only Covid-19 patients who were in severe or critical condition.
In regional news,
READ: Go urges stern fire prevention measures
In the wake of numerous fire incidents, Sen. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go reminded the public to be extra cautious and follow fire preventive measures to ensure the safety of their families and respective communities.
In world news,
READ: New lockdown affects 5M Chinese
Five million residents of a central Chinese city started home confinement on Tuesday in a new lockdown to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus, according to state media.
READ: US-Russia security talks end without any deal
A new round of security talks between the United States and Russia concluded in Geneva on Monday evening without yielding any diplomatic breakthrough.
In business,
READ: HSBC, Deutsche Bank see lower PH growth
HSBC and Deutsche Bank, two of the world's largest banks, forecast Philippine economic growth to fall short of the government's target this year, citing persistent threats from the Covid-19 pandemic.
And in sports,
READ: 'Stop inflaming Patafa-Obiena row'
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez reiterated his plea for the stakeholders of Philippine sports and the public to stop adding fuel to the conflagration between Olympian pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association or Patafa.
Rigoberto Tiglao and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino are the featured columnists on the front page of The Times.
Tiglao argues that the
READ: Pandemic unravels the invention called democracy
Fr. Aquino presents
READ: The pastor's dilemma
In The Times editorial, officials and citizens are warned to
READ: Act now to prevent a water crisis
Read all about it.
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With Aric John Sy Cua, Paolo Dimaapi and Christian Maghanoy, this is Dafort Villaseran reporting. Happy New Year!