Acting Mayor Michael Rama on Tuesday said city residents who are calling on the government to revoke the policy mandating the use of face shields in public places or transportation should get themselves vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In a radio interview, Rama said he supports the executive order issued by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia last Friday limiting the use of face masks to crowded and enclosed areas.
He, however, said the people should show their sincerity in cooperating with the government in its effort to reach the desired population protection before the end of the year by submitting themselves to vaccination.
“Even Pope Francis described being vaccinated as an act of love. To avoid transmitting the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and to avoid being infected and to make the virus to totally surrender because we will have this so-called herd immunity, then be vaccinated,” Rama said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
The acting mayor also said the downtrend in Covid-19 cases here should not become a reason for the residents to relax, instead, they should work with the city government and police to sustain the gains in the fight against the disease.
Rama’s remarks came as Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) deputy director for operations, Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla, said despite the drop in the number of cases here, the minimum health protocols will still be strictly enforced down to the sub-villages (purok) through an enhanced roving patrol system by barangay peace officers.
In a presser on Tuesday, Parilla said cops assigned at the around 40 barangay control points will be designated as team leaders for village watchmen in the conduct of foot patrols down in the purok.
Apart from strictly implementing a liquor ban or drinking in public places, Parilla said the patrolling cops and barangay peace and security officers (BPSO) will also step up the apprehension of health protocol violators.
“Those who will get caught not wearing their face mask while on the street will be arrested. Those who will violate physical distancing policy will be arrested,” Parilla said.
In places where liquors are sold, the police will also enforce the allowable capacity per venue, he noted, stressing that each police station in commercial areas is directed to conduct surprise inspections.
The CCPO official said they noticed that people are becoming complacent now that the Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas has reported progress in the effort to curb Covid-19 cases in the city’s 80 barangays.
The DOH-7 on Monday reported only five new coronavirus cases in the capital city, effectively reducing the city-wide tally of active infections in the hospitals or patient care facilities to 277 from the four-digit figures recorded in the past two months.
Source: Philippines News Agency
