In the spirit of Christmas, children will soon be allowed in malls in areas under general community quarantine as long as they are accompanied by their parents, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Monday.
Under the government's existing COVID-19 guidelines, those aged under 15 and over 65 are prohibited from going out for non-essential travel. Año said gradual easing of age restrictions will be permitted in areas under GCQ, adding the relaxation of quarantine rules will be based on ordinances issued by mayors.
"Para na rin po sa Kapaskuhan ay doon po sa pinag-utos natin na puwede ng gradual expansion ng mga age group para makalabas, ang mga minors po basta accompanied ng mga magulang ay papayagang makalabas at makapunta sa mall," he said during his televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte.
With the easing of quarantine restrictions in different parts of the country and reports of shoppers flocking to malls the previous week, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) today strongly reminded the public and mall operators in the country to strictly implement the official guidelines on mall operations.
Health Undersecretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a special media forum on Sunday, stressed the importance of maintaining the minimum health standards particularly in public spaces such as malls and department stores under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) and General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
Air conditioning inside malls are also to be kept at 26 degrees Centigrade and free WI-FI for mall goers is to be suspended to discourage people from staying and loitering. Marketing events and sales promos which tend to attract large crowds are also suspended. Small, in-store sales promos may be allowed provided they do not unduly attract a large gathering of shoppers inside the premises.
Lastly, malls are directed to assign a large area as the centralized pick-up location for stores with delivery or pick-up services. At all times, these areas should observe proper social distancing.
“This is the new normal and when we reopen. We need to be ready to implement the protocols that the government has set for everyone’s protection,” Castelo noted.
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