ILOILO CITY – For a week starting Monday, Aug. 2, only fully vaccinated persons can enter the Iloilo City Hall.
“This is to minimize the possibility of infection due to the threat of the Delta variant,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas in a statement Sunday, Aug. 1, days after the Philippine Genome Center released findings that there is one confirmed case of the COVID-19 Delta variant here, the regional capital of Western Visayas.
“Please understand that the City Hall is an enclosed building. While there are windows that are opened, not all offices have one. The Delta variant of the virus is several times more infectious than the original variant or the Alpha, Beta, or other variants,” Treñas explained.
“Furthermore, it has been shown that the Delta variant virus stays in the air for a while even if the infected individual is gone. This is for the protection both of the workers and the visitors,” added Treñas.
The Iloilo City mayor said those who want to transact at the City Hall must bring their vaccination cards as proof.
As of July 31, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 1,385 active COVID-19 cases in the city.