Tri-cities remain under alert level 1
Cebu City along with the two other highly-urbanized cities in Metro Cebu— Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu—will remain under alert level 1 until a new classification is released by the Inter-Agency Task Force after the May 9 elections.
Resolution number 167A of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases retains the alert level classifications of the three cities until a new resolution is issued.
The other areas in Central Visayas that are also under the same classification are Siquijor Province, Amlan in Negros Oriental and Duero in Bohol. Talisay City’s de-escalation to alert level 1 is still subject to further evaluation by the Department of Health.
The rest of the towns and component cities of Cebu Province as well as the rest of Bohol and Negros Oriental will continue to be under alert level 2.
Cebu City has been under alert level 1 since midMarch after reaching the 70% vaccination rate of its senior population aside from the general public.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said they have been working hard to ensure that restrictions are lifted before the May 9 elections to allow the public to go out and participate in the democratic process of selecting the next set of leaders.
“We have been working very much ahead… seeing that we want to have a contribution that the right of suffrage cannot be compromised… and the way for the right of suffrage not to be compromised is to bring mobility and make people exercise freedom… and that is freedom with shared responsibility,” Rama said.
Rama reminded all the Cebuanos to continue to observe the minimum public health standards as well as get vaccinated either for the primary series or the booster shots.
“Amping lang gihapon. Level 1, we don't have to argue with it, the most important is we are very proud that as of today, we already have 900 thousand individuals being inoculated and the first dose 90 plus (percent), and the second dose, 90 plus and now with the pedia with the addition of the 5-11 (yearsold)… I am seeing a mark of an exodus of voters going to the polling place,” said Rama.
Rama said he is set to issue a directive concerning the “household election consciousness” to guide the public of the protocols to observe during the elections.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) deputy chief implementer and Councilor Joel Garganera is thankful that the city has remained under alert level 1 status.
"Nagpasalamat ko sa tanang Sugbuanon nga nagsuporta nga ma comply nato ang mga health protocols. This is the only way to navigate the pandemic, we have to be compliant ourselves… protektahan nato atong kaugalingon kay sama ra gyud na nga nagproteher pud ka sa imong pamilya ug sa imong kumunidad…So padayon ta, amping, ampo kanunay,” said Garganera.
Cebu City’s active cases remain at below 50 with 58 barangays already without transmission. —