MANILA – Malls that have partially reopened after the easing of quarantine rules would be shut down if they do not strictly enforce physical distancing.
This was the stern warning of no less than Interior Secretary Eduardo Año yesterday.
He directed all local government units and the Joint Task Force Covid Shield under Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar to inspect all malls and talk to mall management about their observance of the Department of Health minimum health standards and quarantine protocols.
“All Chiefs of Police and PCP Commanders should make rounds of all malls prior to opening and during operating hours. If the malls are not able to comply with the minimum health standards, the PNP can close the malls and charge the mall owners with violation of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act,” he said in a press release.
Eleazar, for his part, vowed to facilitate the closure of establishments that will disregard the physical distancing measures.
“Nababahala po ang NTF (National Task Force) sa nangyari kahapon. Naging excited po ang ating mga kababayan. Ito po ay siguro ay kakulangan sa ganap na pagkaintindi sa sakit na nangyayari ngayon,” Padilla said in an interview with DZBB.
Eleazar’s statement came following reports and social media posts showing the supposed failure of mall security managers to implement physical distancing during the resumption of operations of some malls in Metro Manila over the weekend.
NTF Against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spokesperson retired General Restituto Padilla, for his part, said that the excitement of the public could lead to possible transmission of the virus.
“Kami po ay humihiling sa sambayanan na huminahon po tayo. Huwag tayong ma-excite,” he added.
Malacañang also expressed alarm over the swarm of people in malls and other places as he reminded the public that movement for leisure purposes remained prohibited in MECQ even if some malls and establishments have already opened.
“Iyong mga leisure po, kung pupuwede po ay maiwasan po muna iyan kasi talagang wala pa pong ganiyang pahintulot ang IATF; nililimita pa rin po natin sa essential travel,” Roque said in an interview on DZBB.
Over the weekend, heavy traffic was observed in parts of Metro Manila and Luzon after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease decided to relax the quarantine rules.
Metro Manila, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga including Angeles City, Zambales and Laguna—areas previously under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) shifted to modified enhanced community quarantine on Saturday.
Cebu City and Mandaue City were placed under ECQ while the rest of the country was put under general community quarantine, which implements more relaxed restrictions.
The World Health Organization has earlier warned that a hasty lifting of restrictions imposed to control the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a fatal resurgence of the new COVID-19 cases./PN
