One seat apart: Some malls take steps vs coronavirus threat

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MANILA, Philippines — Some malls will implement a “single seat gap” policy as a precautionary measure amid the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In a statement, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls said moviegoers in its cinemas will be separated by one seat at the front, back and both sides.

“In line with the government’s call to practice social distancing, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls is implementing social distancing efforts on all its malls nationwide as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Megaworld Lifestyle Malls said.

“Social distancing will also be observed in the queue inside the mall such as mall entrances, lines for cinema tickets as well as the concierge. These efforts are being done to ensure the health and well-being of all our mall goers,” it added.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said that social distancing will be implemented in Metro Manila as a way to curb the spread of the disease.

A report by the Associated Press defined “social distancing” as the process of limiting people to gather and spreading the virus—a move that is being practiced in Italy and Japan where there are also reported positive cases of the disease.

There are 64 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines as of posting time.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus that first emerged in China’s city of Wuhan in Hubei province in late 2019.

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the novel coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.

The virus causes mild symptoms such as fever and cough for most people but can cause serious illness such as pneumonia for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.

Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which surfaces have a crown-like appearance. The viruses are named for the spikes on their surfaces.

Edited by JPV