CEBUANOS are fun-loving people, always seeking a reason to celebrate something, whether religious, cultural, professional, sectoral or family event. We understand therefore their urge to celebrate Cebu’s reported victory over the coronavirus 2019 — with a free concert that was so popular around 100,000 packed the Cebu City sports complex.
In a huge crowd like this one in Cebu last Saturday, it is certain that some health protocols were violated, turning the free concert into a possible “superspreader event” for COVID-19.
Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of the Department of Health in Central Visayas, confirmed reports that many concertgoers were not wearing face masks during the event held at Cebu City Sports Center, as shown in photos and videos. Loreche expressed extreme concern about the possible effect of conducting such a big concert.
‘… let us temper our celebrations for these huge gatherings may even cancel our reason to celebrate.’
Although some city officials were present and allowed to address the public, the concert called “Arat na Cebu” was not a political gathering but a celebration after Cebuanos overcame COVID-19 cases, as the city is now under Alert Level 1, and the devastation of typhoon “Odette” (international name: Rai) which hit parts of the Visayas and Mindanao in December last year. This was the official explanation of event organizer Barney Borja.
“Cebu City has moved forward through the introduction of the ‘open policy’ anchored on the principle of shared responsibility. As the theme of this concert says ‘Let’s Move Forward Together,’ we want Cebuanos to feel that there is hope after everything that has been happening,” Borja said.
The concert was funded by some Cebuano businessmen who donated unanimously.
The city mayor noted in his remarks that the massive crowd who attended the concert only showed the desire of Cebuanos to take part again in public events that had been halted during the first two years of the pandemic. It was also to the credit of the city police force that no stampede that happened during the concert, although there was shoving and pushing among several concertgoers and pockets of fistfights.
Although the concert has occurred and authorities can no longer do anything about it, the best that they could do now is monitor the COVID-19 situation in the city and the island of Cebu, and act accordingly if there is any sign of a surge in the epidemic.
And please, let us temper our celebrations for these huge gatherings may even cancel our reason to celebrate.
