The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) on Wednesday urged parents here to follow President Rodrigo Duterte’s order not to bring children aged 11 years old and below to public places.
In a presser, Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla, Cebu City Police Office deputy director for operations, said they are bent on implementing the presidential directive to help sustain the gains in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Duterte’s order, he said, is meant to protect children who are vulnerable to the viral illness, considering that their age group has not been included in the national vaccination rollout.
“I advise the parents not to put their children to risk because they are not vaccinated and at the same time, they are prone to getting infected with Covid-19,” Parilla said, noting that most small children who are brought to malls do not wear protective mask.
Parilla said the local police will meet with officials from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to discuss the parameters in implementing Duterte’s directive, considering that they will be dealing with minors.
The police official also urged parents to bring only vaccinated children and adolescent minors to malls and closed establishments and leave those who are unvaccinated at home to prevent them from being exposed to the virus.
During his prerecorded “Talk to the People” aired late Monday night, Duterte called on the local government units (LGUs) to pass local ordinances restricting unvaccinated minors from roaming around public places.
The President said children, especially those who are not yet protected against Covid-19, will remain at risk of severe infection.
“Certainly, they cannot allow those below 12 years old and those who are still unvaccinated to be exposed to the risks of Covid-19 in public places,” he added.
The President cited a report that a two-year-old child tested positive for Covid-19 three days after visiting a mall in Manila.
Source: Philippines News Agency