MANILA, Philippines — Those who will discriminate against patients with coronavirus disease, people suspected to have infection and frontliners will now be penalized in Manila City.
The city government of Manila passed the Anti COVID-19 Discrimination Ordinance of 2020, which prohibits any act that “causes stigma, disgrace, shame, humiliation, harassment or otherwise discriminating against” COVID-19 patients, persons under investigation and persons under monitoring.
Related Stories
“Since the emergence of COVID-19, we have seen instances of public stigmatization among persons who have contracted the disease including PUIs and PUMs and the rise of harmful stereotypes... Stigmatization could drive people to hide the illness to avoid discrimination and prevent people from seeking health care immediately and discourage them from adopting healthy behaviors,” the ordinance read.
The ordinance will likewise punish any public officer who refuses to give assistance to PUIs, PUMs and healthcare workers who intend to return to their places of residence.
Those who will publicly claim, post on social media or announce that a person is infected or suspected to have COVID-19 will be also held liable.
Violators of the ordinance will be fined P5,000 or face imprisonment of up to six months or both. Maximum penalty will be imposed if the offender is a public officer.
Police units across the country were ordered to provide assistance and security to healthcare workers after there were reports of hospital staff suffering abuse and harassment amid panic over COVID-19 infections.
The new coronavirus has so far infected 2,633 people in the Philippines—107 of whom have died. There are additional 1,154 PUIs and 6,321 PUMs.