Palace: Lapu-Lapu City revokes order to ban unvaccinated people in commercial centers

MANILA, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City has revoked its “controversial” order to ban unvaccinated people to enter commercial centers such as shopping malls, grocery stores, and public markets since the city was placed under a stricter quarantine classification and vaccinations have already increased, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he received a communication regarding this from Lapu-Lapu City mayor Junard Chan himself.

Lapu-Lapu City earlier issued Executive Order (EO) No. 40 banning unvaccinated individuals in commercial places in a bid to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases in the city as well as to encourage people to have themselves vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“‘Yung kontrobersyal na EO sa Lapu-Lapu city has been revoked dahil ang Lapu-Lapu City ay napasailalim na sa MECQ [modified enhanced community quarantine]. Wala nang dahilan para ipatupad ang EO 40 dahil ‘yun ay para sa deklarasyon ng MGCQ [modified general community quarantine],” Roque said in a Palace briefing.

(The controversial EO in Lapu-Lapu City has been revoked because the city has been placed under MECQ and the order was only supposed to be implemented under MGCQ.)

Roque said the Lapu-Lapu city mayor has likewise reported that vaccinations in the city have increased from 2,000 daily jabs a day to an average of 6,000 shots a day.

The city even reached 8,200 inoculations in one day on Monday, the spokesman added.

“Ang sabi niya [mayor]  hindi na talaga kinakailangan ipatupad ang kanyang EO dahil nagpapabakuna na ang mga taga-Lapu-Lapu City,”  Roque said.

(The mayor said the EO is no longer needed since residents are getting vaccinated.)

Roque earlier said it is not yet time to impose a “no vaccine, no entry” policy in establishments since many individuals have yet to receive their COVID-19 doses.

JPV