Open-air spaces urged as QC relaxes COVID-19 mall guidelines

MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City government urges malls and restaurants to make use of open-air spaces or naturally ventilated indoor venues in their operations.

In a statement on Wednesday, the city hall said it made these recommendations to help revitalize the economy and provide a safe environment during the Christmas season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With our active COVID-19 cases now on a downward trend, we are now pushing various activities during the holidays that will open and jumpstart the economy and give livelihood to our citizens,” said Mayor Joy Belmonte.

“However, we encourage them to hold these activities in open-air spaces or naturally ventilated indoor areas to help prevent the virus from spreading. This way, we will be having a safe and meaningful Christmas celebration,” she added.

Belmonte issued the latest general community quarantine (GCQ) guidelines to reflect the expanded scope of allowable economic activity under the Department of Trade and Industry’s Memorandum Circular No. 20-57 s. 2020.

Mall sales, bazaars, tiangges, and similar activities are now allowed subject to minimum health protocols under the latest GCQ guidelines.

The local government also requires event organizers to log all attendees for contact tracing. Malls must also set up queues for the thermal scanning of guests or customers.

Malls must also enforce a capacity limitation that allows a one-meter distance among all customers. Marshals should also be put in place to enforce physical distancing.

The capacity limitation will be subjected to review and modification by the Business Permits and Licensing Department and Market Development and Administration Department.

The city’s Law and Order Cluster, regulatory departments, Barangays, and the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) are tasked to ensure that the latest guidelines are strictly enforced.

As of November 4, the city reported that 94 percent or 21,377 patients have recovered from COVID-19, further dropping its active cases to just 756. Miggy Dumlao, trainee

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