The Lucena City Government Complex (Delfin T. Mallari Jr./Inquirer Southern Luzon)
LUCENA CITY––Malacañang had declared Aug. 20 a special non-working day in this city to mark its Charter Day anniversary amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“It is but fitting and proper that Lucena City residents be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies,” said the proclamation signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdia on Aug. 13.
But the celebration is “subject to community quarantine, social distancing, and other public health measures,” according to the proclamation posted on the city public information office Facebook page.
Lucena became a chartered city on June 17, 1961, under Republic Act No. 3271 sponsored by late Quezon representative Manuel Enverga.
The local government celebrates the occasion every 20th of August to commemorate its formal inauguration as a city on that day in 1962.
Lucena, which is under modified enhanced community quarantine until Aug. 20, has 261 active COVID-19 cases as of Monday.
Since the pandemic started last year, the city has recorded 3,683 total cases of COVID-19, of which 3,275 had recovered while 147 had died.
The city public information office said 41,884 city residents had their first dose of the vaccine against COVID-19, and 11,921 had been fully jabbed as of Aug. 16.
Lucena would need to fully vaccinate at least 186,000 of its 266,000 population to achieve herd immunity.