NCR mayors want policy allowing minors outdoors suspended

MANILA – Metro Manila’s mayors have called on the pandemic task force to suspend its policy that allows minors in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) to go outdoors amid the threats of the more infectious Delta variant.

The appeal was relayed by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairperson Benhur Abalos during a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday.

“[A]ng Delta variant ay very aggressive, very infectious… Kami pong mga alkalde, mga mayors, nag-usap-usap po kami at hinihiling po sana namin sa IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) baka maaari na ‘yong polisiya tungkol sa five-year-old pataas ay baka puwedeng isuspende muna sa Metro Manila (The Delta variant is very aggressive, very infectious… The mayors here have met and we wish to ask the IATF to suspend the policy for five-year-old children here in Metro Manila),” he said.

Abalos further noted that children ages 5 to 17 are potential “super spreaders” as none of them have been vaccinated yet.

Meantime, he assured that all Metro Manila mayors have been preparing for the variant and continue to closely monitor the situation.

“Ang mga mayors ay nagkakaisa rito. Iisa ang boses, iisa ang boto ng mga mayors rito. At gusto ko lang sabihing handang-handa po sila dito po sa Delta variant (Our mayors are working together here. We have one vote in this. But I just wanted to say that they are prepared for the variant),” he said.

The Department of Health on Tuesday reported that eight of the Delta variant patients previously tagged as recovered tested positive again for coronavirus disease 2019 after undergoing an RT-PCR re-test.

Of this number, four are in Cagayan de Oro, one each is in Manila and Misamis Oriental, while two are returning overseas Filipinos.