With the easing of restrictions for minors in public establishments under Alert Level 2, parents and guardians here were reminded to take extra precautions when bringing their children to crowded places.

In an interview, Angela Brenda Tromis, a mother of three, said she was surprised when she went to a mall here and witnessed parents bringing their children with some of them not even wearing face masks.

“Despite the loosening of restrictions, I would never bring my children in crowded places. I am so afraid of seeing other parents with their babies,” she told Philippine News Agency Thursday.

With the presence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Tromis said everyone should not be complacent, especially children who are vulnerable to the infection since they are unvaccinated.

“We have to be extra careful. Despite the downtrend of cases, we should not be complacent,” she said in the vernacular.

Meanwhile, Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said that minors, especially those below 11 years old, are at risk of contracting the virus considering that these are the unvaccinated population. In the national government’s vaccination rollout, only minors aged 12 to 17 years old were allowed to be vaccinated.

“A gentle reminder to our parents to take extra precaution. Although there are no more movement restrictions for minors aged 11 below, they are still vulnerable to infection because they don’t have an extra layer of protection,” Schlosser said in a radio interview Wednesday.

The health official said that imposing restrictions on minors at the city level was discussed during the Covid-19 Task Force weekly meeting and there is a plan to set limits when getting near the 3Cs (Closed, Crowded, and Close Contact).

While she understands the parents’ excitement to bring their children outside their residences, Schlosser emphasized the risk of allowing the children to go inside establishments like shopping malls as they could be potential spreaders.

Meanwhile, Sixta Solingan, a guardian of two minors, said there is a need for the city government to impose stricter guidelines as children below 17 years old were going out of their residences.

“I have two grandchildren and they are asking me if they are allowed to go out like other kids. I told them they are not yet allowed. I fear for their safety [from Covid-19] outside,” she told the PNA.

Solingan also urged fellow guardians and parents to be extra careful when bringing their children to crowded places. “It is not safe yet as Covid-19 is still present. They should be at the comfort of their houses,” she said in the vernacular. (PNA)