Children aged five and above remain prohibited from going outdoors in Navotas City despite clearance from the national government.
This came after the local government reimposed its 24-hour curfew on minors following the July 17 COVIDKAYA report, stating that the city reported a 105-percent two-week growth in its COVID-19 cases, the highest in Metro Manila.
"In June, we had the lowest average daily attack rate in the region. We even recorded 41 active cases on June 25. Now, our active cases have multiplied almost four times. We cannot be complacent. We need to implement additional measures to keep our people safe, especially the children and vulnerable sectors," Mayor Toby Tiangco said in reimposing the curfew.
"Each of us wants our life to go back to normal. However, we are facing a pandemic and we need everyone's support and cooperation in keeping each other safe," he added.
Recently, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) passed a resolution allowing those 5 years old and above out of their homes, particularly in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ.
Tiangco said the city was already preparing to ease its restriction, but the local government decided not to push through because of the steady rise in its new virus cases.
"Our barangays have already sent a list of areas we could open for children. Unfortunately, our cases have gone up, that's why we needed to defer its implementation," he said in a statement.
"We understand the clamor of some parents to allow children to go out," he added.
Tiangco said that as much as the local government wants children outside, "we also want them to remain safe in their homes and not risk contracting the disease."