November 4-6, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 87 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages
DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
As election season comes to a close, LA community leaders stand against anti-AAPI hate AS the country tries to upend the divisiveness stemming from months of civil unrest and a global pandemic, local leaders in Los Angeles County are unpacking the increased hate against the local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The newly minted Civil Rights and Human Rights Department (CRHRD) was established in the City of Los Angeles in early 2020 before the pandemic even began. The phenomenon of hate crimes spans races, ethnicities, gender and sexual orientation. On Oct. 23, the county’s Commission on Human Relations released the annual Hate Crime Report for 2019, and although reported incidents only jumped by one (523 incidents in 2018 and 524 incidents in 2019), the report doesn’t factor in the incidents stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is a city of belonging, a place where our strength is in our people and people who
Super Typhoon Goni slams PH, death toll climbs to 24 by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
vember 3. In its consolidated report, the PNP logged four THE number of deaths caused by Super Typhoon additional fatalities in Bicol region and Calabarzon Goni (local name: Rolly) has risen to 24, the Philip- (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon). Five pine National Police (PNP) reported Tuesday, No- more missing persons were also reported, of which
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
FIFTY FOUR countries worldwide have lifted inbound border restrictions on travel for Filipino citizens, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday, November 2. In its latest bulletin, the agency said that the entry of Filipino citizens in the 54 countries is subject to medical protocols, such as testing and quarantine requirements upon arrival as well as flight availability. The United States is among the countries that lifted their restrictions on travelers from the Philippines. The remaining 53 countries are: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guam, Hawaii, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Laos, Maldives, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt,
Bay Area Fil-Am family in search of donor for baby with leukemia WASTELAND A resident on Monday, November 2 cooks a meal for her family amid the ruins of their home and those of their neighbors in Basud village, Tabaco City, Albay province, after the devastation caused by Typhoon “Rolly’’ on Sunday, November 1. Inquirer.net photo by Mark Alvic Esplana
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Comelec considers online LA County Public Health: Rise in voting for overseas Filipinos COVID-19 cases likely associated MENDIOLA AJPress
viders. I think the round of presentation will start sometime next week,” he said Thursday, October 29, on Cignal TV’s OneNews. Jimenez stressed that so far, the online voting is for overseas absentee voting (OAV) only. Low turnout among overseas Filipinos is in part due to the inability to get to an assigned polling place. There are currently two voting options for overseas Filipinos: postal voting, in which ballots are mailed to overseas voters who must return the ballot also by mail; or in-
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Virtual help desk delivers COVID-19 information to Fil-Am community by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
GOING nine months into the pandemic, a virtual help desk is connecting the Filipino American community in Los Angeles County with culturally relevant and in-language information and services. The “Tayo” help desk — launched under the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)’s Caretaker Project — seeks to address the gaps in how health departments and other institutions are reaching communities of color, like the Fil-Am population, which is among the groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19. It received a $25,000 Booz AlFilipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)’s Caretaker Project launched the Tayo help desk, a website that features frequently asked questions
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with recent large gatherings by AJPRESS
PUBLIC gatherings are likely to blame for the recent uptick in coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County, the region’s health official said. The LA County Department of Public Health confirmed 23 new deaths and 1,224 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, November 3. “With our cases already increasing, we are concerned about the coming months – holiday gatherings and cooler weather where people are more likely to gather indoors are perfect conditions for spreading COVID-19. While it is easy to believe that the virus won’t spread among your friends and family, there are so many examples that prove otherwise. Unfortunately, with just one infected person at a well-intentioned gathering, dozens and dozens of people can become infected over weeks and weeks of virus transmission. Some people will become seriously ill, and some may even die,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. The seven-day average number of cases by episode date continues to rise. Cases have increased from around 940 new cases per day in early October, to
more than 1,275 new cases per day last week. The episode date is either the date a person was tested for COVID-19 or first had symptoms. To date, Public Health identified 311,745 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County and a total of 7,097 deaths. The University of Southern California’s Center for Social and Economic Research conducts a weekly representative survey with LA County residents about their actions through the pandemic. As cases increase in the county, survey respondents have also indicated increases in close contact between residents from different households and gatherings. This includes going to a reunion, wedding, funeral, birthday party, concert, or religious service or going to a friend, neighbor, or relative’s house or having visitors at their house. Since April there has been a 57% increase in people reporting close contact with people they don’t live with. More than 10% of respondents reported they had been at a gathering of more than 10 people in the last seven days. For perspective, if 10% of L.A. County residents attend gatherings, this
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Fall Savings into
by RITCHEL
THE Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking at the possibility of online voting for overseas Filipinos during the country’s May 2022 presidential polls. The commission is planning to get potential information technology providers of online voting systems to showcase its technology, according to spokesman James Jimenez. “Over the next few weeks, we’ll be fielding u PAGE A3 demonstrations from various potential pro-
about navigating the pandemic.
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54 countries, including US, lift inbound border restrictions on Filipino citizens
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A BAY Area Filipino American family is in need of a bone marrow or stem cell donor for their 9-month-old infant. The baby, AJ, has been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of leukemia. Doctors say that for a full cure, he would need a donor. “AJ has finished his first round of chemotherapy,” said Eric, AJ’s father. “We are waiting for his body to recover from the treatment before the next round begins. We’ve been told that subsequent rounds of chemotherapy only get harder.” Siblings would be the best donor match, but AJ is an only child. Extended family members have offered to step up, but they are no more likely to match than a stranger, according to the Asian American Donor Program. Matching is based on one’s human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type and matches are closely based on a patient’s ethnicity. Now, the family is taking their search
three are in Bicol region and one each in Calabarzon and MIMAROPA (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan). Meanwhile, 26 people were reported injured.
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