ALLOWING senior citizens, or those aged 60 and above, to go to groceries and supermarkets during the enhanced community quarantine is a decision that shall be made by the local chief executive.
So said Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who pointed out that mayors in the 44 towns and seven cities of the Province of Cebu are in a better position to decide on the matter since they are the ones who will issue the quarantine passes.
"We don't issue these quarantine passes, the Province. That's on the level of the mayors," Garcia said in her regular live news conference through Sugbo News on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
The governor's pronouncement is in response to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez's statement that allowing seniors to enter supermarkets is provided under a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) circular.
In an interview with Dobol B sa News TV, Lopez said while they are encouraging the elderly to stay at home, the DTI recognizes that some seniors may not have younger companions at home to shop for groceries on their behalf.
Lopez has also called on grocery stores and supermarkets to set up a priority lane for seniors in a bid to minimize their exposure amid the continued spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
"These households belong to the local government units. The Province does not have the households, it's the towns and cities. Most probably, Sec. Lopez considered the fact that there might be senior citizens who are all seniors at home so you have to give that exception. I understand the point of Sec. Lopez," Garcia said.
Garcia, though, reminded Cebuanos that only one person per household is allowed to go out and buy necessities such as food, medicine and other home essentials. (RTF)