EVEN though children below 18 years old are now allowed to enter shopping malls in areas under Alert Level 2 in the new Covid-19 quarantine classification, the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) is strongly discouraging parents from bringing their children to malls.

Em Ang, executive director of EOC-TF, said Wednesday, November 17, that parents should avoid bringing their children to malls because they are still unvaccinated.

"We should limit the exposure of our children in close contacts and close venue to ensure that they will not be infected with the virus," Ang said, noting that many children have been hospitalized already due to Covid-19.

She said the City Government has an ongoing pediatric vaccination for children aged 12 to 17 in malls.

Parents should bring them home after getting the vaccine, Ang added.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier announced that a two-year-old child was reportedly infected with the Covid-19 less than a week after visiting a mall in Manila.

The National IATF placed Bacolod City and other areas in Western Visayas under Alert Level 2 until the end of the month citing a decrease in Covid-19 cases.

The city was previously under Alert Level 4.