DILG: Vax cards are ‘counter-productive’

A STATEMENT issued by the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) indicating that vaccine cards won’t be required for entry in malls operating in areas under Alert Level 1 would be “counter-productive,” Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno said last Friday.

“Yeah but (that DILG statement) runs counter to the national government’s campaign for vaccination,” Moreno said in response to confirmation by City Health Office (CHO) medical officer Dr. Ted Yu Jr. about a statement by DILG undersecretary Jonathan Malaya that persons won’t be required to present vaccination cards on entering malls provided these malls operate in areas classified under Alert Level 1.

“But (that’s a statement by a DILG official) and not the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) so (acting CHO chief) Dr. William Bernardo wrote DILG Secretary Eduardo Año to clarify this statement. Because allowing that (no vaccination card entry to malls) would be a waste of all our efforts (in our campaign for vaccination and enforcement of minimum public health standards),” Dr. Yu said. Cagayan de Oro City is under Alert Level 1 status from March 1 to 15.

For the weekend, Cagayan de Oro City logged six cases and 16 cases as of 10 pm on March 5 and 6 respectively.

The city had been averaging 20.66 percent in daily cases since March while the city’s health care utilization/critical care utilization rate is pegged at 20.33 percent as of March 3.

“Our average daily attack rate is at two percent and our two-week growth rate is at negative 58 percent while our bed use rate is 18.42 percent. We expect these numbers to improve by next week,” Dr.Yu said.

Given these health data, Moreno said removing the vaccine card requirement for areas under Alert Level 1 would set back the city’s gains in protecting the residents from the virus.

DILG undersecretary Jonathan Malaya clarified that vaccination cards will still be required for establishments inside malls that are considered 3Cs or closed, crowded, and close contact spaces. These include spas, restaurants, cinemas or theaters, and similar venues, Malaya told national media.

The DILG statement came as Cagayan de Oro City is ramping up its vaccination campaign despite its near 100 percent vaccination status by implementing drive-through vaccinations and joining anew the nationwide Bayanihan Bakunahan campaign launching on March 10 to 12.

“The CHO will identify and prepare the barangays targeted for vaccination in time for (this week’s) vaccination campaign,” Dr. Yu said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)