The government is encouraging the public to have "very judicious" celebrations this coming holiday season to arrest the spread of coronavirus disease.

National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is also banning caroling.

"We will have a meeting this coming Thursday, one of our item(s) and issue(s) to be tackled is the incoming celebrations during Christmas," he said.

"But as we have said, (Interior and Local Government) Secretary (Eduardo) Año and our other secretaries, they are really enjoining the public to have what we call brilliant or very judicious celebration," Galvez said.

He said the IATF hopes that the celebration will only be a family affair and "not so much pompous celebration because we can see that this will cause the spread of the virus."

Galvez said the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Metro Manila mayors are working hard to lower the active cases of COVID-19 so that during the holiday season, the spike will start from a low base.

As of November 25, COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 422,915 with 386,995 recoveries and 8,215 deaths. Celerina Monte/DMS