No vax, no entry' policy affects local economy

Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte (File photo)

DAVAO CITY – Mayor Sara Z. Duterte is not keen on imposing a "no vaccination, no entry" policy in the city, saying this would severely affect the local economy.

Duterte, however, said business establishments may impose such guidelines because they have a legal basis.

“Here in Davao City, we do not have such policy because it will severely affect our local economy which has been severely affected since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020,” she said in a radio interview Monday, noting that there is a need to balance economic activities and health protocols.

Under Alert Level 2, some establishments and activities are allowed to operate at a maximum of 50 percent indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals and those below 18 years of age, even if unvaccinated, and 70 percent outdoor venue capacity.

“It will still be the same this year. We still need to balance our local economy and the movement of goods and people. So, we do not have that discussion on ‘no vaccination, no entry’ in Davao City,” she said.

The city is under Alert Level 2 until December 15

“Even at the start of the pandemic last year, we did not require testing or vaccination requirements for land travel, except for air travelers who were required to present a valid negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test before boarding at the port of origin,” she added.

The test before travel policy was required through the issuance of an executive order to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the city. (PNA)

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