QC wants transition period to GCQ, says COVID-19 hurting local economy

MANILA, Philippines — The local government of Quezon City is proposing to implement a “transition period” to a less strict general community quarantine (GCQ) after May 15, saying that the coronavirus disease pandemic had adversely affected the city’s economy.

“While the health of our residents remains our primary priority, we also need to look after the local economy, which has been affected severely by the dreaded virus,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement on Friday.

Belmonte said the proposal will be discussed during a meeting of Metro Manila mayors regarding lockdown measures on Saturday.

The transition period will impose strict “new normal” protocols for businesses if Quezon City is placed under GCQ after the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) next week.

“Necessary preventive measures should be in place and the health and safety of workers and customers must be guaranteed before we allow them to operate again,” Belmonte said.

Assistant City Administrator for Operations Alberto Kimpo said businesses should constantly check the health conditions of all employees, allow testing and quarantine of workers if necessary and require thermal scanning, social distancing and disinfection in the workplace.

Kimpo also noted that aside from medical establishments, establishments will not be allowed to operate round-the-clock to allow them to regularly disinfect their workplaces.

The Quezon City government will also mandate businesses to schedule a one-day shutdown to give way for disinfection and sanitation activities.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) said the GCQ will allow more businesses to operate aside from those offering essential services. This includes malls, commercial centers, barbershops, salons, spas, wholesale and retail trade, repair shops for motor vehicles, among others.

As of posting, the Quezon City Health Department documented 1,156 cases of COVID-19 including 337 recoveries and 134 fatalities.

The city government at present has three hospitals and 30 private and national government health care facilities to help curb the spread of the coronavirus disease.

/MUF