In Lapu-Lapu City: No mall entry for unvaxxed

CEBU, Philippines —  Effective today, November 25, 2021, unvaccinated persons can no longer enter malls in Lapu-Lapu City unless they undergo and pass a rapid antigen test, while vaccinated persons without vaccination cards can, just the same, still not get inside such establishments.

These are among the salient provisions in an executive order issued recently by Mayor Junard Chan.

Chan, however, assured that the rapid antigen test will be for free to the public as this will be shouldered by the city government.

As for the minors, Chan said, they will only be allowed to enter malls as long as they wear face masks and are in the company of parents who may be vaccinated or have undergone rapid antigen tests.

The mayor warned that parents of toddlers who are not wearing face masks will be barred from going inside the malls.

Chan added that minors are not required to undergo rapid antigen test as long as they wear face masks and are accompanied by their parents.

“Naa tay nabalitaan ngadto sa Manila nga dunay one-year-old nga gi-intubate because nagka-COVID, so importante kaayo ang face mask,” the mayor said.

Chan said that he will add more marshals in malls and commercial centers to apprehend those who will not wear facemasks.

He has also organized a city composite team to do surprise and random antigen tests among unvaccinated employees in different commercial, industrial outlets, hotels and resorts.

But the mayor stressed that he is against the policy of withholding salaries and benefits of unvaccinated workers.

“Ang ako lang, every time that they will go to the malls or commercial establishments, naay antigen test nga ipahigayon ang gobyerno. That’s one way of giving our love to the Oponganons,” he said.

Escalation?

To recall, the Department of Health warned on Monday that Lapu-Lapu City may be escalated to alert level 3 after posting a positive two-week growth rate in COVID-19 infections.

Growth rate pertains to how quickly the number of infections is changing day by day.

In a virtual press briefer, DOH spokesperson and undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that Lapu-Lapu, along with the 13 other areas under alert level 3 and 4, is being closely monitored by the DOH.

“Metrics for Lapu-Lapu may require escalation from alert level 2 to alert level 3,” she said.

According to Vergeire, the same metrics showed that the moving seven-day growth rate for Lapu-Lapu (November 8-14 versus November 15-21) is at -32% while its moving average daily attack rate for November 15-21 is at 1.04.

However, its two-week growth rate (Oct. 25-Nov. 7 versus Nov. 8-21) has increased to 27.69% and its moving average daily attack rate stood at 1.30 for moderate risk classification.

“As mentioned, Lapu-Lapu has now shown a positive two-week growth rate and is currently at moderate risk classification... With these numbers, Lapu-Lapu City will be monitored if they will need to be escalated to alert level 3 from alert level 2,” Vergeire said.

Raffle

Meanwhile, to encourage the unvaccinated to have themselves vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines, the city government has prepared raffle prizes to be given away for those joining the upcoming three-day vaccination days on November 29 to December 1, 2021.

The prizes include motorcycle, television set, air purifiers, mountain bikes and many more.

Chan was hoping that this initiative could lure more to submit themselves for vaccination, especially that there is a possibility that the COVID cases will increase by January because of holiday gatherings.

“To prevent this, mao ning atong gihimo karon, paspasan nato ang atong pagpamakuna nga ma-hit nato ang atong target,” he said.

The national government has set a target of 12,600 vaccinations per day for the first dose during the three-day vaccination.

Chan said that the city’s first dose performance already has already covered 92 percent of the eligible population and the second dose has already hit 69 percent.

“Most likely before the end of this month ma-hit na nato siya and, in fact, the 100 percent of the first dose makuha na nato before the end of December,” he said. — JMD (FREEMAN)