The Iloilo City government plans to ban unvaccinated people in public places such as theaters, malls, and government offices amid the threat of the new Omicron variant.
This was announced by Mayor Jerry Treñas yesterday, citing the city government is crafting an executive order that would prohibit the unvaccinated from entering such establishments.
The development drew different reactions from netizens, with some expressing concerns that fake vaccination cards could proliferate once the order is implemented.
Some said this could violate human rights, insisting vaccination should be voluntary.
Meanwhile, others approved the city government’s proposal and expressed hope the ban for unvaccinated would cover public markets.
Treñas emphasized the detection of the Omicron variant and the infection rates recorded in Australia, Europe, and the United States.
“We need to ramp up vaccination and booster shots to give adequate protection to everyone,” Treñas said.
On Monday, the mayor announced that effective January 17, all city hall employees and visitors should be vaccinated or have received the booster shots before they would be allowed entry.
Treñas said the Iloilo City would ramp up the vaccination for children aged five to 11 once enough COVID-19 vaccines are available.
Iloilo City registered single-digit COVID cases in the last two weeks, with four the highest recorded on December 14 and 15.
Husband of 4th Omicron case tests positive for COVID-19
According to the Department of Health (DOH), the husband of the woman also tested positive for COVID-19, the fourth case of the Omicron variant in the country.
“Husband is 37 years old and Filipino,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire to the patient who has been released from the quarantine facility after 10-days of mandatory isolation.
It was learned that the couple landed in the country from the United States on December 10, aboard PAL flight PR 127.
They were also subjected to testing and isolation at the same time. The male is also asymptomatic like the female, but they will be retested based on existing protocols.
It is not sure if the man also has an Omicron variant because his sample was not sent for sequencing. However, yesterday, his sample was sent to the Philippine Genome Center (PGC).
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.