IATF OKs Comelec request to simulate voting amid pandemic

The government’s COVID-19 task force has approved the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) request to conduct voting simulations on October 23 in San Juan City in preparation for the May 2022 polls. 

In a resolution passed on Thursday, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) said it approved the proposal since “voting simulation exercises are essential activities.”

“For this purpose all participants, including the voters, are exempt from any travel restrictions in place and shall not be required to show proof of vaccination status and/or be required to undergo any Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction test,” the resolution read.

The IATF has also allowed the Intramuros Administration to implement programs in Fort Santiago and the Baluarte San Diego for fully vaccinated senior citizens aged 65 and above.

The Comelec earlier said there was no need to postpone the May 9, 2022 elections even if the pandemic is not yet over by that time. 

Next year’s polls would be the first national elections to be held amid a pandemic, where most of the population are encouraged to stay at home to avoid contracting the disease. — VBL, GMA News

IATF OKs Comelec request to simulate voting amid pandemic
Source: Filipino Viral News PH