DAVAO CITY – Mayor Sara Z. Duterte reminded all officials and personnel of national government agencies in the city against holding Christmas parties in private residences just to skirt her previous call not to hold Yuletide celebrations in compliance with coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related health and safety protocols.
Duterte’s statement came after she learned that there were some personnel of government agencies in the city, who were set to hold Christmas parties in private residences despite the threat of the coronavirus.
“We will remind our national government offices, we strongly encourage not to conduct parties,” she said.
The mayor said this kind of activity might put at rick risk not just the health of their personnel, but also their respective families.
She emphasized that it was already specified in the executive orders released by the city government that mass gatherings were prohibited while the COVID-19 pandemic was still ongoing.
“We discourage Christmas parties, Maski wala ta nagpagawas ug order ana pero obvious nana kay we don’t allow mass gathering (even if we did not make an order on that but it is already obvious since we do not allow mass gathering),” she said.
Duterte also said that even if parties held at residential areas were not included in the prohibition, she was still appealing for cooperation due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in the city.
The Department of Health in Region 11 (DOH-11)) showed that, as of December 13, the city had a total of 7,566 COVID-19 cases, with 5,349 recoveries and 340 fatalities.
The city has 1,867 active cases.