MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has urged local government units (LGUs) to enact local ordinances prohibiting unvaccinated minors from roaming the public places.
“I am calling on all local government units to consider passing ordinances for age restrictions among minors who can be allowed to go to the malls,” Duterte said during his prerecorded Talk to the People aired late Monday night.
Children, especially those who have not yet been vaccinated against coronavirus disease (Covid-19), will continue to be at risk, according to Duterte.
“Certainly, they cannot allow those below 12 years old and those who are still unvaccinated to be exposed to the risks of Covid-19 in public places,” he added.
Duterte also urged parents to keep their children away from the virus, citing a report that a two-year-old child tested positive for Covid-19 three days after visiting a mall.
“Alam kong gustung-gusto niyo nang ipasyal ang mga anak niyo (I know you are eager to stroll your kids) after staying for so long inside your home due to lockdowns, pero isipin ninyo kung maliliit pa ang mga anak niyo at hindi pa bakunado (but you should think that they are still very young and unvaccinated), do not expose them to the virus. They have no defense mechanism in their system [against] Covid-19,” he said.
Duterte reminded on the parents and guardians of unvaccinated minors to be “mindful of these risks”.
He claimed that the government is only concerned with the “protection” of children and ensuring that “no Filipino children should be infected with Covid-19”.
“Reminder, even if we are able to control the virus, the virus is still here and remain to be a threat to our people and nation. Kaya ipagpatuloy po natin ang mask, hugas, iwas. Bakuna pa rin ang importante na protection (Let’s continue using face mask, wash hands, and physical distancing. Vaccines remain the important protection). I hope that everybody would take this advice para malayo sa disgrasya (to keep you away from danger),” he said.
Inoculation of children ages 12 to 17 years old is ongoing in the country.
The government and health authorities are already completing the necessary assessments and safety standards to begin vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years old, according to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in these age groups.
