Año: Metro Manila mayors reviewing age restrictions for minors allowed in malls

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday said Metro Manila mayors are reviewing age restrictions for minors visiting malls following reports that a two-year-old boy had allegedly tested positive for COVID-19 after a mall visit.

“That's very unfortunate. That's why we are still reminding everyone to follow the public health protocols and for the parents to discern in bringing their kids to the mall to be careful and only if it’s necessary,” Año told GMA News Online in a Viber message.

“The MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) mayors are also reviewing the age restrictions to be allowed to go to the mall. While we have low COVID-19 cases, pandemic is still not over. It’s within the authority of LGUs (local government units) to put restrictions as the situation may call for,” he added.

The report came from a doctor who shared in a social media post on November 10 that a two-year-old kid tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting a mall three days ago.

Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that recent activities including mall visits could be “possible source of infection," adding that "its exact cause will remain multifactorial and uncertain.”

“Factors such as adults from the same household going to work and bringing the infection home could also be a possibility. In line with this, we would like to reiterate that the COVID-19 virus is still very much present,” Vergeire said.

The health undersecretary also encouraged individuals aged 12 and above to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and advised parents to take extra precaution if they will bring their children with them.

“The department emphasizes that the decision to get vaccination will not only benefit the individual, but more importantly, the community as well,” she added.

MMDA chairperson Benhur Abalos earlier said that minors in the National Capital Region (NCR) are now allowed to go outside after nearly two years of being forced to stay home due to the COVID-19 threat.

Abalos said intrazonal and interzonal movement will be allowed for minors after NCR was placed under Alert Level 2 quarantine classification.

The Department of Health on Thursday reported 1,974 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the Philippines' total caseload to 2,811,248, as two laboratories failed to submit their data. — Richa Noriega/RSJ, GMA News