CALOOCAN CITY, May 26 (PIA) -- The Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) called on the public and mall operators to strictly implement the official guidelines set by the national government for mall operations.
This came after reports of shoppers flocking to malls after the easing of ECQ in Metro Manila.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a recent virtual press briefing stressed the importance of maintaining the minimum health standards particularly in public spaces such as malls and department stores under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) and General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
Vergeire said that the virus hasn’t left the country, “The virus is there, though we may now be under Modified ECQ or when we were in GCQ!”
“There is no vaccine yet against the virus so we must take always take the necessary precautions by following the health protocols,” added Vergeire
“The government has crafted and is enforcing guidelines, and the mall owners are complying with these protocols; so what is left is for all of us to recognize that we have our own responsibilities in this pandemic,” Vergeire further said.
Meanwhile, DTI Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo, reiterated the DTI guidelines dated April 30, 2020, specifying the measures that need to be established, strictly implemented, and maintained by shopping mall operators under the MECQ and the GCQ.
Under the guidelines, strict monitoring of foot traffic and enforcing of physical distancing inside mall premises should at all times be implemented.
Malls are also advised to limit the number of people by reducing the number of available customer seats in shops, reducing open entrances, creation of one-way flows inside premises, and limiting elevator access to senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and pregnant women only with one companion each.
Air conditioning inside malls are also to be kept at 26 degrees Centigrade, free WI-FI and marketing events are also suspended.
Malls are also directed to assign a large area as the centralized pick-up location for stores with delivery or pick-up services.
“This is the new normal. We need to be ready to implement the protocols that the government has set for everyone’s protection,” Castelo noted. (DOH/PIA-NCR)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
0 Comments