CEBU CITY — Travel restrictions here have been eased as fully vaccinated travellers can now enter the city without presenting COVID-19 tests.
Cinemas were also given the go signal to open but only for fully vaccinated individuals and limited to 50 percent capacity.
Minors are also now allowed in malls but must be accompanied by their fully vaccinated guardians or parents.
"This is to incentivize those who really took the vaccine," said City Councilor Joel Garganera, chief of the city's Emergency Operations Center.
From 10 p.m. to 4 a.m, curfew hours have also been adjusted to 11:30 p.m to 4 a.m.
The easing of restrictions came after the city was placed under a more relaxed Alert Level 2.
While negative results of COVID-19 tests are no longer required for arriving travellers, the city will be strict in checking the authenticity of vaccination cards.
"If ever we caught someone using fake vaccination cards, we will file charges which we already have done many times already," said Garganera.
Garganera warned that the city has filed charges against those who were caught manufacturing fake vaccination cards.
The Cebu City Police Office and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Central Visayas have been trained how to determine fake vaccination cards, he said.
Garganera said the city-issued vaccination cards are equipped with quick-response (QR) code which makes it easy to check for authentication.
Garganera advised those who have vaccination cards with no QR code to secure certification from their local health unit to prove the authenticity of their vaccination cards.
Garganera said the city will soon check what other indoor activities that will be allowed.
"We put emphasis on fully vaccinated and a venue having free-flowing air, not enclosed," said Garganera.
Garganera said the easing of restrictions are allowed under Alert Level 2 and that the city is already experiencing a steady decrease of new infections.
"Our positivity rate warrants the easing of restrictions but we have to do it in a cautious manner. We have to ease the restrictions gradually in order not to waste the gains that we achieved in the past months," Garganera said.
Garganera said the city's positivity rate has been within the World Health Organization (WHO) threshold for the past three weeks.
As of October 23, the city's active cases stood at 365.