THE entire Cebu, including Cebu City, once dubbed the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in the country, retains its modified general community quarantine status. At least until the end of October.
Yehey.
Does that mean we’re finally out of the woods? Not quite. In fact, the public should be reminded that, until a vaccine is found and made available to everyone, they should remain wary of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease.
The number of Covid-19 cases may have fallen in the past few days, but that doesn’t mean people can’t get infected. That is why strict quarantine measures continue to be in place.
If I’m not mistaken, people still can’t leave the house without a quarantine pass unless they’re authorized persons outside residence or they’re essential workers or they’re frontliners.
They must also wear face masks when outdoors, face shields if they want to get inside public transportation.
They’re still supposed to practice social distancing, but, admit it, that’s difficult to implement. You can’t do away with a cultural tradition overnight. That’s why wearing face masks is very important.
Well, that should cover the basics.
At any rate, a lot has changed since the early days of the health crisis.
Six months ago, when people were actually afraid because they had no idea what to expect, Cebu and the rest of the country were like a ghost town.
But now, streets are once again brimming with traffic. More people are venturing outside. Most businesses have reopened. It looks like things are slowly going back to normal.
Yehey.
Of course, bars remain closed since drinking in public is still prohibited, but at least there’s no liquor ban, which makes a lot of people happy. Yours truly, included.
Police are everywhere. Or perhaps only in my neck of the woods since the Police Regional Office 7 headquarters and the Abellana Police Station are just a stone’s throw away from my grandmother’s place and the office.
On the upside, crime has fallen. Fewer thefts, burglaries, robberies and murders have been reported. Although I’m not sure if the pandemic has anything to do with that. Those involved in the illegal drug trade seem to be doing okay.
Despite all that, though, there is room for optimism. Albeit a very tiny one.
Not all businesses survived the long lockdown. Many were forced to shut down for good. That meant a lot of people are without a job. But look at it this way, at least they’re alive and well. That’s reason enough to celebrate, right?
Yehey.