CEBU CITY – Although restrictions in public places have subsided, health authorities here are advising local government units (LGUs) not to fall into complacency, especially since Central Visayas still has to hit its target vaccination rate.
The Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH 7) made the advice in the aftermath of ‘Arat na Cebu’ concert in which 60,000 fans reportedly showed up at the Cebu City Sports Center on March 26.
The DOH7 also raised the health concern because more and more public gatherings could be expected since the campaign period for candidates seeking local positions has started.
“It is still the responsibility of our local government partners that they have the mandate to regulate these types of activities,” said Dr. Jaime Bernadas, regional director of DOH 7, in a press briefing
Bernadas also asked the public to continue observing minimum health protocols.
“We should not also be complacent because we will really have problems when we don’t go back to our basic practices on minimum health standards,” added Bernadas.
The chief pathologist of DOH 7, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, recently expressed concern over the holding of “Arat na Cebu” concert that was attended by at least 60,000 people.
Bernadas pointed out that there is no room for complacency as Central Visayas is still catching up in its COVID-19 immunization coverage rate.
“Good if we can cover 85 percent of the population then maybe we can relax a little but for now we really have to exercise due diligence and prudence among the candidates to adhere to the standards,” he added.
DOH 7 data showed that the COVID-19 vaccination coverage rate in the region currently stands at 62.8 percent.
The region needs to inoculate around 5.6 million people to achieve its goal of vaccinating 70 percent of its population, Bernadas said.