Oca to biz sector: ‘Let’s not rush it’

TO business owners and workers clamoring for the relaxation of some quarantine restrictions to allow the re-opening of their shops and outlets, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno made this appeal to them yesterday: Let’s not rush it.

“Dili lang ta magdali-dali. That’s my appeal (to those appealing for the relaxation of some quarantine resolutions). I was criticized last year for not resorting to a lockdown and I’m sure I will be criticized again for taking too long to relax the quarantine restrictions. It’s a very difficult challenge (to balance things). And I intend to do my job as best as I can,” Moreno said during yesterday afternoon’s City Hall press briefing.

Moreno said this in response to a City Council resolution asking the mayor and City Hall’s Covid-19 response task force to reconsider the provisional re-opening of Internet cafes, videoke bars, water rafting, and some recreational facilities including gyms. In their resolution, the council said the provisional re-opening of these recreational facilities will be subject to stringent public health protocols as set by the task force.

The council resolution came amid an ongoing steady decline of Covid-19 cases in Cagayan de Oro City starting last month. From triple-digit cases that went up to its highest monthly count last August, the city averaged below 100 and then below 50 cases, even logging a single day low count of four cases as of 10 pm of Oct. 11.

Moreno and the City Health Office credited the steady decline to ramped up vaccination and the raised public awareness and compliance to minimum public health standards.

“While I may welcome suggestions and recommendations but I hope the public will understand that in some situations like this my hands are tied, the matter is beyond me to decide and the most that I can do is to submit a proposal to the (Inter-Agency Task Force). But my reading of the IATF is that they are prioritizing public health which should be the case. Our victory over Covid-19 must be decisive,” Moreno said.

Moreno said he tasked Regulatory Compliance Board chairman Jose Edgardo Uy, also concurrent Economic Cluster chairman of City Hall’s Emergency Operations Cluster, to review and make recommendations on the re-opening of businesses in the city.

“He’s seen so many situations in the past. So he’ll make the recommendations and we’ll review and decide (on the re-opening of businesses,” Moreno said.

“We cannot win over the virus by relaxing the quarantine rules. Covid-19 wants the people of Cagayan de Oro City to relax so it can infect them immediately. So let’s win over the virus decisively first before deciding to ease the quarantine restrictions. Of course, if we are allowed to ease these restrictions we’ll proceed as the circumstances would warrant it. But let’s not rush things,” Moreno said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)