BAGUIO CITY – Persons aged 17 and below who are unvaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are prohibited from leaving their homes for 10 days starting Friday.
This is among the restrictions for unvaccinated minors stipulated in Executive Order (EO) 12-2022 dated January 19 issued by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, as the city is under Alert Level 3 until January 31.
However, they may be allowed to go out for necessary travels when accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.
The establishment where the minor is going should also have a Safety Seal certification and that all of its employees and personnel are fully vaccinated.
The EO also specifically said those aged 14 and below shall not be allowed inside indoor markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, and other similar high-risk and high traffic 3C (close, crowded and close-contact) environments.
It said immuno-compromised workers over 65 years old are advised to avail of work from home arrangements.
Magalong said these measures are to protect vulnerable sectors from the spread of the Omicron variant, which has been causing the surge in COVID-19 infections in the city.
As of January 18, the city has a positive rate of 56 percent with an average of 595 cases daily.
As of Thursday, the Department of Health-Cordillera COVID-19 tracker showed the city logged 587 new cases.
Magalong said 5.3 percent of the city’s active cases are minors aged 12 and below.
“This emphasizes even more that they are an at-risk population more so that vaccination for this age is not available at the moment,” the mayor said in the order.