CEBU CITY — Starting Monday, November 22, children below 15 years old will no longer be allowed in grocery stores and supermarkets here.
The move is meant to protect children from COVID-19 as people are expected to crowd supermarkets and grocery stores for the Christmas rush.
“For children who are unvaccinated and unprotected, this place is not safe for them,” City Councilor Joel Garganera, chief of the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said.
Garganera and lawyer Jared Limquiaco, head of the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO), on Thursday, November 18, met with supermarket and grocery managers to discuss the matter.
“What we agreed is that children below 15 years old are not allowed inside the grocery. Only the buying custmers will be allowed inside,” said Garganera.
Garganera carried that minors are still allowed in other establishments such as malls.
“We still need to conduct further meetings and discussions on updating our existing protocols,” Garganera said.
The city has already started its pediatric vaccination. As of November 17, the city has already administered first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to 4,224 individuals aged 12 to 17.