Mandaluyong City relaxes quarantine rules for food services

MANILA, Philippines — The Mandaluyong City government has allowed food establishments in the city to open their take-out, delivery, and drive-thru services amid the extended Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine due to COVID-19 outbreak.

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“These include food establishments inside shopping malls and those located inside groceries and supermarkets,” Mayor Carmelita Abalos said in an executive order signed Tuesday.

Food establishments will only be allowed to operate from 7 a.m. up to 7.p.m only in light of the city’s curfew hours.

However, dine-in services of food establishments are prohibited.

“All food establishments included in this Order shall conduct thorough and regular sanitation and disinfection. In particular, items or objects usually touched by the public must be regularly disinfected, such as, but not limited to door handles, countertops, tables, and chairs etc.,” the order reads.

The entire island of Luzon, where Metro Manila is located, has been placed under a month-long enhanced community quarantine to curtail the further spread of COVID-19. It was supposed to lapse on April 13 but President Duterte approved the proposal to extend it until April 30.

The measure stopped all public transportation, banned mass gatherings, and strictly enforced home quarantine as work for the majority of the region’s residents was suspended. People are only allowed to go out for provision of food and other basic necessities and in cases of emergency.

To date, Mandaluyong City has 294 confirmed cases of infectious respiratory illness, including 26 deaths and 35 recoveries.

Earlier, the city government issued a market schedule restriction by designating specific days for residents, according to the first letter of their surnames.

EDV