Sara Duterte orders malls closed to keep people at home for COVID-19 quarantine

DAVAO CITY-The city government has ordered all malls closed to prevent people from gathering there despite a community quarantine that’s supposed to keep people immobile at home.

In an executive order, Mayor Sara Duterte directed the temporary closure of malls and mixed-use buildings starting shortly before midnight until her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, lifts the state of public health emergency earlier declared.

Mayor Duterte said that malls should be closed except supermarkets, in-house department stores, pharmacies, banks, medical laboratories, and doctors and dentists’ clinics.

The local government also ordered the closure of establishments that attract the unnecessary gathering of people in public such as internet shops, gaming stations, billiard halls, videoke shops and video arcades.

Mayor Duterte said she also instructed the temporary suspension of operations of shops like spas, beauty salons, massage parlors, movie houses and carnivals.

She added that the city government also decided to seal basketball and badminton courts which attract people especially in the communities.

Mayor Duterte explained that the reason behind the issuances is the continuing non-essential activities of residents outside their homes.

Earlier, Mayor Duterte issued an order that temporarily prohibits the selling or serving of liquor, alcoholic beverages, coconut wine, and other drinks that cause intoxication from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.

The city mayor said this will prevent people from congregating especially in enclosed areas, as social distancing is mandated.

“It has been observed that the selling, serving, and consumption of liquors and other similar intoxicating drinks encourages close contact among people thereby defeating the objectives of the community quarantine,” the mayor’s EO read.

Davao City has an existing liquor ban ordinance that prohibits drinking in public from 1 a.m. to 8 a.m.

The Davao Region recently enforced a region-wide lockdown and quarantine in the hope of containing the spread of COVID-19, advising residents to leave their homes only if needed.

As of Thursday (March 19) the Department of Health in the region had documented one positive COVID-19 case, who is now in a hospital in Tagum City but now in stable condition.

There are 88 person under investigation for COVID-19 in the region, three of whom recently died while awaiting test results.

The DOH also recorded 3,960 persons being observed for symptoms of the infection with 360 of them already completing the mandatory self-quarantine.

Edited by TSB