Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia. | CDN file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia slammed three consultant doctors who recommended a lockdown on Cebu over the newly detected mutations of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Three doctors have recommended to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to place Cebu on lockdown after COVID mutations were detected here.
One of the consultants allegedly said that Cebuanos shouldn’t be allowed to go out of the island.
Duque and the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) declined the recommendation saying that the situation in Cebu remains to be manageable as the critical care utilization rate for hospitals remains low.
Garcia said this recommendation is discriminative of Cebuanos and unnecessary as the mutation is yet to be studied.
“My message is don’t mess with us, we can take care of ourselves. I will not and never again accept a lockdown. I will fight for Cebu and the Cebuanos because Cebu is moving on and moving forward,” Garcia stressed.
Furthermore, DOH-7 Regional Director Jaime Bernadas said the detection of the new mutations does not affect the current protocols set in the province under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).
Garcia also said that DOH-7 clarified in their meeting with mayors of the local government units (LGUs) that the mutations are normal as viruses naturally mutate to survive.
These particular mutations are yet to be investigated as well and need further studies.
The governor said that using the mutations as a reason to place Cebu in lockdown is a scheme to further destroy the reputation of the province for tourists, especially when Cebu recently opened its doors to more visitors.
Garcia noted that a lockdown would cripple Cebu’s economy, which is still struggling after the long quarantine in 2020.
“Sayunan lang mo morecomandar og lockdown kay sayon inyong kinabuhi…Lockdowns don’t work, well they work against the economy,” said Garcia.
As for the doctors who recommended the lockdown, Garcia said they cannot bring down Cebu as Cebuanos would never agree to a lockdown.
“Ayaw tawn mig sulayi diri. Dili gyod ko, ug dili gyod mosugot ang mga Sugbuanon nga lisod-lisoron napud… I will fight for Cebu and the Cebuanos for their livelihoods and their lives,” said Garcia. /rcg