‘Too early to reduce 1-meter distance in public transport’––DOH-7 exec maintains

CEBU CITY –– A local health official deemed it proper to keep the one-meter distance policy in public transport in Cebu City to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

While she respects the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force in Manila, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, spokesperson of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), said it is too early to reduce the physical distancing measures in public transports here.

“At this point, when we are still beginning to flatten our curve, I think, of course as a specialist, to be able to achieve what we are supposed to achieve, we should remain the status quo,” she said.

“It is too early for us to reduce that distance. We are just a baby in the MGCQ (modified general community quarantine,” she added.

Cebu City shifted to MGCQ only last September 1.

Loreche said the city may need two more weeks to monitor its cases.

“And after two weeks, if the cases continue to go down, then reducing social distancing in public transport can be implemented gradually,” she said.

In a separate press conference, Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia welcomed the new measure introduced by the IATF to reduce the social distancing length.

“We have to resuscitate the economy,” she said.

Garcia said the devastation brought about by COVID-19 has a massive effect on the economy than the health issue itself./###

LZB