COVID-19 vaccination at SM Seaside City Cebu. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City has no need to arrest those who will refuse to get vaccinated against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This was the statement of Acting Mayor Michael Rama in a phone conference on June 22, 2021, as a response to the warning of President Rodrigo Duterte that those who will refuse to be vaccinated will be arrested.
Rama said that the statement is merely a reiteration that the President is serious in the vaccination and the nation is striving to reach herd immunity as soon as possible.
“No, we don’t need to arrest people who don’t want the vaccine. Sa atong part, we are actually doing fine,” said Rama.
In the recent count of the Vaccine Operations Center (VOC), the total number of individuals inoculated by the virus has reached 86,416 with at least 25,616 of these completing their first dose.
Rama said that the residents of the city have been eager to get vaccinated and no wastage of vaccines has been recorded so far in Cebu City.
Furthermore, there are more than 100,000 registrants for the vaccination program and the number still grows as more doses are being delivered to the city.
Instead of punishment, Rama said the city will focus on informing the public on the advantages and risks of getting vaccinated, conducting information drives, and bringing the vaccines closer to the residents.
“We should not treat the vaccines as a joke,” said Rama.
The acting mayor, who also serves as the lead convenor of the city’s vaccination program, has launched an information drive in the barangays, opened weekend vaccination sites in mountain villages, and also opened additional vaccination sites in the city center.
Furthermore, the establishments in the city have been offering incentives to vaccinated individuals as well including discounts and freebies. /rcg