COVID-19-vaccinated individuals in Cebu City are now allowed to enter indoor dining establishments and access to personal care services in salons and spas under its “vaccine bubble” policy.
Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama explained the local government’s “no-vaccine, no-dine in” policy, which will help strike a balance between the city’s economy and the health of their constituents.
“Itong bubble vaccination, nagpapasalamat kami sa mga tao sa Cebu City, iyong mga nakakaintindi. Marami na ang mga nagpapabakuna, tapos namo-mroblema iyong mga nagpapabakuna dahil sa mga hindi pa nagpapabakuna,” Rama said on Wednesday (Sept. 15).
Meanwhile, Department of Health – Region 7 (DOH-7) Chief Pathologist Dr. Mary Jane Loreche said the vaccine bubble is the city government’s way to amplify its vaccination drive and balance the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There has to be what we call a creation of that bubble so that we are able to protect kasi when you enter into an establishment, you are all fully vaccinated. If there is a breakthrough infection diyan, but still, the probability of it is lesser compared to when not everybody is vaccinated,” Loreche said.
After a two-week surge of COVID-19 cases in Cebu City, the situation has eased up following a decrease in the number of active cases from 4,000 to only 2,941 on Tuesday (Sept. 14).
Moreover, the city’s positivity rate has declined from 26% to 12% this week, while the healthcare utilization rate stands at 59.4%. – Report from John Aroa (PTV Cebu) / CF – bny
