Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is grateful that the Sto. Niño has blessed the Sinulog Festival with good weather. CDN Digital photo | Wenilyn Sabalo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama welcomed the announcement of the World Health Organization (WHO) that COVID-19 is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Rama said this is good for tourism on the island, including the two grandest festivals “Pasigarbo sa Sugbo,” organized by the Cebu Provincial government, and the anticipated “Sinulog,” of the Cebu City government.
This will also give the local government units (LGUs) the freedom to implement what is best under the utmost local autonomy, Rama said.
Rama, however, said the city will never stop with its vaccination efforts, as COVID-19 vaccines, the WHO said, remain an individual’s protection by creating antibody response against potentially severe illnesses or post-COVID conditions.
“Amping lang and shared responsibility,” reminded Rama.
WHO on Friday, May 5, said COVID-19 no longer represents a global health emergency and is a “major” step toward the end of the pandemic, which killed millions of people.
However, COVID-19 will still remain even if it does not represent an emergency anymore.
It was in January 2020 when the emergency committee of WHO first declared that COVID-19 represented its highest level of alert.
Rama and other city officials have been encouraging Cebuanos to get vaccinated since the time vaccines were made available. /rcg
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