Stop disinfection drives — DILG

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has advised local officials to stop its disinfection drives following instruction from the Department of Health (DOH) that this might do more harm than good.

DILG spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said they would advise local government officials to stop spraying or misting operations as it could pose additional health concerns.

Malaya said instead of conducting spraying operations, local executives should prioritize other measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We would rather (have them) focus on contact tracing, establishment of isolation facilities and implementation of the social amelioration program,” he said in a text message. 

The DOH on Friday said it does not recommend misting operations due to the lack of evidence that this will kill the novel coronavirus. It added that pathogens could be dispersed during spraying operations, as well as cause skin irritations and chemical inhalation, aside from environmental pollution.