APRIL 16-19 2022 Volume 32 - No. 30 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages
LA County relaxes quarantine requirements DATELINE USA New York City subway for asymptomatic people exposed to COVID-19 shooting injures 23, FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
NYPD arrests suspect
PH Consulate advises Filipinos in NYC to be extra vigilant AT LEAST 23 people were injured in a shooting on the New York City subway on Tuesday, April 12. NYPD patrol officers in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood arrested Frank James, 62, on Wednesday afternoon, April 13, officials said. The gunman who was wearing a gas mask released two smoke canisters and then started shooting aboard a subway car on the N train as it approached the 36th Street Station in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood during the morning rush hour, authorities said. Five gunshot victims are in critical condition but are expected to survive.
County’s move follows statewide suspension of 5-day quarantine for asymptomatic cases by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
AS of Friday, April 15, Los Angeles County residents who have been exposed to the coronavirus but show no symptoms do not have to quarantine. The change in rules means that anyone exposed to
the virus no longer needs to quarantine for at least five days in case they test positive for COVID-19; however, this only applies if they remain without symptoms. However, despite the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) broadly easing its statewide
‘Significant’ human rights abuses were committed by and for PH gov’t, says US State Dep’t by ZACARIAN
SARAO
Inquirer.net
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When symptoms linger for weeks, is it long COVID? MANY Americans are discovering that recovering from covid-19 may take weeks or even months longer than expected, leaving them with lingering symptoms like intense fatigue or a racing pulse. But does that mean they have what’s known as long covid? Though such cases may not always amount to debilitating long covid, which can leave people bedridden or unable to perform daily functions, it is common to take weeks to fully recover. “There could be more to help people understand that it’s not always a quick bounce back right away after the initial infection,” said Dr. Ben Abramoff, director of the Post-COVID Assessment and Recovery Clinic at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia. “This is still a very significant viral infection, and sometimes it’s just a more gradual recovery process than people’s previous viral illnesses.“ Recent federal health guidelines — which recommend only five days of isolation for those who test positive and are symptomfree — may inadvertently suggest most recoveries are, if not just five days long, pretty quick. That’s the message I got, at least. I’ve reported on the coronavirus pandemic u PAGE A7
coronavirus-related public safety measures, LA County is keeping some mandates in place for those who may have been in contact with an infected person. The county requires — not recommend — that u PAGE A2
PATH OF SUFFERING. A man portrays Jesus Christ during the Via Crucis in Boac, Marinduque on Good Friday, April 15. The Via Crucis is a procession that traces Jesus’ path on the day of his crucifixion. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
MANILA — The United States has received “credible information” showing that significant human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, have been made “by and in behalf” of the Philippine government, and that the Philippine National Police was “largely ineffective” in cleansing its ranks. In its 2021 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, the U.S. Department of State said that it received “credible reports that members of the security forces committed numerous abuses.” The U.S. said that these significant rights issues included “unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings, by and on behalf of the government and nonstate actors; reports of forced disappearance by and on behalf of the government and nonstate actors; torture by and on behalf of the government and nonstate actors; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions;
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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti This Holy Week, Filipinos urged to reflect on 2022 bets nominates Fil-Am Susana Reyes by JELINE
MALASIG Philstar.com
A humanitarian organization and its partner groups called on Filipinos to spend this year’s Holy Week by reflecting and discerning their electoral bets for the highstakes national polls this May. Oxfam Philippines, together with Caritas Philippines and CORA or Communities Organized for Resource Allocation, urged the public to choose aspirants who have “integrity and a proven track record in helping” those in need. The three organizations launched their
three-point priority agenda to encourage Filipinos to vote in an informed and policybased manner. “With less than a month left before the elections, it’s important that we really take the time to scrutinize candidates and their track records,” Oxfam Pilipinas country director Lot Felizco said. “The Philippines has long been struggling with the problems of poverty, inequality, disasters and conflicts. With the added threats of the pandemic and climate change, there is so much at stake for this year’s elections,” she added. u PAGE A2
Pope Francis offers prayers for victims of ‘Agaton’ landslides, floods in PH POPE Francis offered his prayers for the thousands of Filipinos affected by the flooding and landslides brought on by tropical cyclone Agaton (international name Megi). In a telegram dated Friday, April 14, the pope expressed "solidarity with all those suffering" in the aftermath of Agaton, which caused heavy rains in the central regions in the Philippines as the predominantly Catholic country celebrated Holy Week. Signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the telegram was addressed to Cardinal Tagle thanks Pope Francis at the end of Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Archbishop Charles Brown, Nuncio to the Sunday, March 14, 2021. Photo courtsey of Vatican Media Apostolic
Philippines. "His Holiness Pope Francis wishes to express his solidarity with all those suffering in the wake of the storm. He also offers the assurance of prayers for the dead, injured, and displaced as well as those engaged in recovery efforts,” Parolin wrote. The letter was then relayed by Archbishop Brown to Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. The death toll from landslides and flooding rose to 148 on Thursday according u PAGE A7
to city’s Board of Public Works by AJPRESS LOS Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has nominated Susana Reyes, a long-time public servant and community leader, to the city’s Board of Public Works. Reyes, who is Filipina American, is the current vice president of the Board of Water and Power Commission. “Susana is a selfless public servant who has spent her career building a more resilient and fair Los Angeles,” said Garcetti said in a statement on Tuesday, April 12. “Her strong commitment to equity, environmental justice, and public safety will make her a powerful addition to the Board of Public Works.” Prior to joining the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners, Reyes served as the director of LADWP’s Low-Income Customer Access, where she worked to provide lowincome ratepayers with access to financial assistance, discounts, and rebates. In addition to being a public servant for over 32 years, Reyes is the founder and CEO of AgilEngines LLC, an advocacy and consulting firm focused on community outreach and civic engagement strategies.
Susana Reyes, the current vice president of the LA Board of Water and Power Commission, is now nominated to the city’s Board of Public Works. Photo courtesy of the LA Department of Water & Power
Reyes also served on the Mayor’s Sustainability team as a Senior Sustainability Analyst, where she helped oversee the implementation of Los Angeles’ first Sustainable City pLAn and helped secure a $1.7 million grant for the City from the California Air and Resources Board to help launch BlueLA, an EV car u PAGE A2