Manny Pacquiao Found A Way To Help Prevent Coronavirus From Spreading

Manny Pacquiao has found a simple way to prevent coronavirus from spreading.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected the world of sports. Big sporting events have now been cancelled and one of them is the Olympic qualifying boxing event in London which is scheduled to run until March 24.

As a boxing icon and a lawmaker in Philippines, eight-division title holder Pacquiao is doing his part to prevent the spread of coronavirus. According to ABS-CBN News, Pacquiao wants to ban spitting and blowing of nose in public places in the Philippines.

Pacquiao spearheaded the filing of a bill seeking to ban spitting and expelling mucus in public places to the Senate, following the rise in number of COVID-19 patients in his homeland.

Under Pacquiao's Senate Bill No. 1406 or the proposed "Anti-Spitting Act of 2020," individuals who would spit or "intentionally" expel "saliva, phlegm, or mucus" in public would be fined between 5,000 and 50,000 pesos.

If Pacquiao’s bill successfully becomes a law, it will be of great help to his fellow countrymen as scientific findings showed that the new strand of the coronavirus, which originated from Wuhan, China can be transmitted among humans through the transfer of bodily fluid from one person to another.

As written on Pacquiao’s bill, the Filipino champ aims to significantly prevent the spread of a disease that has already become a “global health emergency.”

"Considering the gravity of the situation, there is an urgent need to institute a concrete preventive measure to stop the spread of the disease that has become a global health emergency," Pacquiao said in the bill's explanatory note.

The 41-year-old legend also noted that his bill will not only help prevent the spread of coronavirus but also airborne diseases that could possibly be passed on when in public places.

"This shall not only prevent the spread of the coronavirus and [but also] other contagious and airborne diseases," Pacquiao added.

The said bill was filed on March 9, 2020, the same day the Philippines declared a state of health emergency due to the spread of the COVID-19 in the capital region and nearby provinces.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Metro Manila will be placed on a month-long community quarantine starting on March 15, 2020 to stop the virus from spreading to other parts of the Philippines.

Aside from helping prevent coronavirus, Pacquiao also vowed to help his possible successor Mark Magsayo to become world champion in boxing.