Cebu City to make sure tourist spots are complying with health protocols

Photo from Sirao Flower Famr from Sirao Garden Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — As tourist spots here begin to reopen with the city now under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), the local government said it will begin closely monitoring these sites to ensure basic health protocols such as wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing, and regular disinfection are being followed.

Lawyer Rey Gealon, the city’s spokesperson, said that health protocols should be maintained in tourists spots in order to prevent another spike in the number of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city.

The Business Processing Licensing Office (BPLO) will be checking on popular tourists spots such as the Sirao Little Amsterdam Flower Garden in Barangay Sirao, and historical sites such as Plaza Independencia, the Magellan’s Cross, museums, and even famous temples, and resorts to make sure health protocols are observed.

“Sublion nato ang health protocols sa mga tourists areas. Ang BPLO naghinay-hinay nag suroy aron pagsubay if nisunod sila sa 50 percent capacity,” said Gealon.

(We will be checking the tourist areas for their health protocols. The BPLO is already going rounds to check if these establishments are following the 50 percent capacity protocols.)

Gealon assured the public that the reopening of the tourist spots does not mean an immediate flock of tourists in the city. Entry into the city is still strictly regulated.

The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) earlier warned the public not to be too complacent even under MGCQ especially since a World Health Organization (WHO) study showed that cases in a locality usually rise within two weeks of a quarantine status downgrade.

Read: Being too complacent under MGCQ could lead to spike in COVID-19 cases, Cebu City EOC warns

Because of this, the city is not taking any chances. All border controls are still set in place and entry for leisure is still discouraged. Workers from the province are the only ones that usually come and go into the city freely.

But local residents have begun visiting tourist spots since the shift to MGCQ on September 1, 2020.

The Sirao Little Amsterdam Flower Garden reported that Cebu residents have gone up to their farm to see the flowers, although the numbers of visitors are still scarce.

The flower garden assured the public of its compliance to health protocols. /bmjo