Repost: President Duterte Tells Mall and Shop Owners to Ensure Safety of Staff and Customers During General Community Quarantine

Image courtesy of www.news.mb.com.ph

Source: www.news.mb.com.ph

President Duterte told shop and mall operators and owners to make sure that their places are clean and their employees protected now that they are allowed to partially reopen under the general community quarantine (GCQ).

Duterte made the statement days after he approved the recommendation of the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow non-leisure shops in malls in areas under the GCQ to partially reopen starting May 1.

In a taped public address aired Monday evening, President Duterte said mall operators and store owners should now do everything to protect everyone who will be coming in their establishments from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“When you asked us to open, we agreed. But there are the protocols to be followed,” he said.

“It behooves upon you to see to it that the workers are protected. Meaning to say, that the sanitation of the place must be guaranteed and that the employees are provided with the durable and workable masks.

“Not immaculately clean, but just sanitize it for COVID-19 not to thrive, tapos, you know, (and end up) endangering your employees,” he added.

The non-leisure shops in malls in areas under GCQ may partially open starting May 1. There will be mandatory temperature checks, wearing of masks, and alcohol use. A limited number of people — those aged 21 to 59, with ID and not looking sickly — will be allowed to enter.

Supermarkets, drugstores, banks, laundry services, restaurants (for take-out and deliver only), and hardware stores inside malls are allowed to reopen, provided that employees are provided with masks and gloves.

To discourage people from lingering inside malls, the airconditioner temperature will be increased to 26 degrees and access to free WiFi will be removed.

Transportation

Meanwhile, President Duterte said public transportation drivers and operators in areas under the GCQ should wait for the final guidelines before they can start plying the roads.

“Itong sa (For the) transportation that would allow movement sa mga tao (of people) in areas under general community quarantine — pero maghintay kayo sa final orders, kasi pina-plantsa pa namin ito,” he said. (Wait for the final orders because we are still ironing things out.)

“Kasi kung magsiksikan kayo sa LRT na naman, wala nang katapusan ang problema natin (Because if you cram the LRT again, our problem will never end). It will never end and it will bring us down and down,” he added.