UNVACCINATED individuals can still enter establishments, particularly in malls situated in Cebu City.

This was what Mayor Michael Rama told SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, following reports that the Cebu City Police Office has started implementing the “No Vaccine, No Entry” policy in establishments starting Tuesday.

Rama, however, clarified that only unvaccinated individuals seeking to get vaccinated should enter the malls.

“Kon gigamit for vaccination site, pasudlon gyud na para magpa-vaccinate. But kon wala’y vaccination, we discourage really entry anang mga tawhana. Mao gyud na aron everybody will be encouraged to get vaccinated,” he said.

(If used as a vaccination site, then the unvaccinated individual may enter to get vaccinated. But if there’s no vaccination, we discourage entry of such people. That is to encourage everybody to get vaccinated.)

Last Dec. 1, Rama said he wanted all eligible residents of Cebu City vaccinated against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) by Dec. 31 because by 2022, all establishments would be allowed to operate and only the fully vaccinated would be welcome to go inside.

But following the onslaught of Typhoon Odette (Rai) last Dec. 16, Rama said it would no longer be appropriate to open all activities to the public.

For his part, Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief implementer of the Emergency Operations Center, said the “No Vaccination, No Entry” policy has not yet been implemented in the establishments.

“Not yet. That will depend on the mayor’s directive (regarding) unvaccinated individuals,” he said.