SAN JOSE, Antique – Children five years old and older in Antique will be allowed outdoors, according to Gov. Rhodora Cadiao.
The provincial government will be heeding the guidance for this from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID), she stressed.
Children, according to the task force, may now go to “parks, playgrounds, outdoor tourist sites, outdoor non-contact sports courts, and al fresco dining with their parents or guardians” but strictly observing the minimum public health standards (wearing of facemask and face shield, physical distancing and proper washing of hands).
“No questions asked. We are a province that follows the dictum of the IATF,” Cadiao told Panay News.
Allowing children outdoors would be good to their mental health, she stressed, pointing out that kids have been holed in their homes for more than a year already.
“Man-an mo ang mga kabataan have been imprisoned for months. They are in isolation, away from their friends (and) relatives. Ang mga bata gusto ya sina ma-sepal di ba? So let’s give them a chance to go out and get some fresh air and sunshine with relatives and friends,” said Cadiao.
The IATF order would also be good for the economy, the governor added.
“How long are we going to hold on this kind of life nga nagapanago lang kita pirme? Siguro let us gamble because we are also taking care of our economy. Why don’t we gamble on this thing nga gina-impose sang IATF like indi na mag-swab, puede na pagwaon ang mga bata,” said Cadiao.
Data from the Provincial Health Office as of July 12 showed Antique with 414 active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), 2,064 recovered cases and 121 deaths.
The 414 active cases were in the towns of San Jose (110), Belison (39), Sibalom (37), Pandan (34), Bugasong (26), Tibiao (26), Culasi (22), Anini-y (21), Laua-an (20), Hamtic (19), Patnongon (13), Libertad (11), San Remigio (10), Sebaste (10), Barbaza (seven), Tobias Fornier (four), Valderrama (three), and Caluya (two)./PN