Roque: Senior citizens allowed to go out, visit malls in NCR under Alert Level 3

Malacañang on Tuesday said senior citizens are allowed to go outside of their residences and visit malls in Metro Manila which is under Alert Level 3, provided they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was responding to concerns raised over mall operators in Alert Level 3 areas who still refuse to allow senior citizens or those aged 60 and above to enter their establishments even if these elderly are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Hindi natin binabawi ang incentives na ibinigay natin sa seniors na kapag sila ay vaccinated ay puwede silang pumunta [sa] mga malls at puwede silang lumabas ng bahay. Ganoon pa rin iyon (We are not taking back the incentives we have given our seniors as long as they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. They can go to malls and go outside their homes. This policy stays),” Roque said.

Those prohibited to go outside their homes, Roque said, are minors since the COVID-19 vaccination of minors aged 12 to 17 just started last October 15.

“It is the minors who are not allowed to go out yet since they are not yet fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” Roque added.

Roque said that there are 24 million Filipinos fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of October 18.

Metro Manila is under Alert Level 3 which eased operational capacity restrictions on businesses and allowed cinemas to operate at 30% venue capacity, provided that all cinema workers and cinema goers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, will not seat beside each other and will not eat while watching the movie so that face mask and face shield won’t need to be removed.

Roque said that the COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Metro Manila is at 92% so far. — RSJ, GMA News