ON WEDNESDAY evening, October 22, several posts about a woman barred from entering a supermarket went viral over social media. The posts tell of how law enforcement officers prevented this woman from entering since she was wearing neither a face mask nor face shield.
The posts allege that the woman was making a scene out of the incident to the point that she may have hit one of the law enforcement authorities.
Then on Thursday, October 23, a video of the incident surfaced. Video clips of the woman show her raising her voice as law enforcement officers attempt to calm her down.
Netizens were quick to dub her as "Karen" or "Marites." Dictionary.com defines "Karen" as "a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people's behaviors." Her Filipina counterpart is "Marites," as coined by the netizens.
At present, she is detained at the Talomo Police Station and will be facing charges.
In recent days, it is clear that people disregarding health safety guidelines have been among the factors of the continuous increase in Covid-19 cases in the region.
As the active cases in Covid-19 in the region continue to increase, it is important for everyone to follow the health safety protocols put in place. These measures are put in place to slow the transmission in the city.
These health safety protocols include wearing face shields or face masks, maintaining social distancing, and regular washing of hands. On top of this, there is also a need to fill out contact tracing forms properly when entering business establishments.
No one is exempted from following these health safety guidelines -- whether you are a businessman, high-ranking government official, government employee, a known personality, or an influential person. Sars-CoV-2, the virus causing the Covid-19, does not choose who to infects as long as you are a person. Hence, we need to follow the regulations put in place by the government and health authorities.
If we want to slow the spread of Covid-19 in the city and decrease the number of active cases, we have to do our part in following the health safety guidelines. By following these guidelines, we are also helping the health authorities, health care workers, and the government in fighting the pandemic.