CEBU CITY – Acting Mayor Michael Rama on Tuesday, November 2 advised parents or guardians to ensure their minors are observing minimum health protocols while inside malls and other indoor establishments.
Rama’s instruction came after reports that children were seen not wearing masks and some were not properly wearing their protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while in the malls during the long weekend.
He said the city officials followed the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF) declaration placing the city as pilot area for the Alert Level 2 which allows minors in indoor establishments.
“Kana mga butanga amo na tukion (That matter should be discussed) by the convergence of stakeholders but we should also be mindful that what we really want to arrive at is really a balance between the economy and health,” Rama told reporters in a press briefing.
Collin Russel, Rama’s legal consultant, said the city government has modified the IATF declaration on Alert Level 2, requiring the unvaccinated minors allowed in malls and closed establishments like restaurants should be accompanied with vaccinated parents, guardians, or responsible adults.
“The first remedy that we did was to require establishments to observe minimum public health standards. In fact, we reinforced it by requiring management to submit (a) contingency plan, an action plan, so that everything will be in place to prevent spread of the COVID infections,” he said.
He added Rama’s earlier instructions to parents are “very clear” that they should exercise parental supervision over their minors while outside the home during the Alert Level 2, which include ensuring that children are properly wearing their masks.
Russel also reminded establishments that children, vaccinated or unvaccinated, must be included in counting for the allowable capacity per venue.
Rama earlier clarified in a directive that restaurants should not drive away customers who are bringing unvaccinated children, saying that only those whose parents are also unvaccinated should not be allowed entry.