Cavite amends guidelines for mall operations during MECQ

Governor Jonvic Remulla issued Executive Order No. 50 on Tuesday, amending the guidelines for mall operations in Cavite during the implementation of modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) within the province.

Malls are only allowed to open from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. under the new rule, and they must ensure that no patrons are on the premises by 8:00 p.m.

However, groceries and supermarkets, including some essential establishments such as pharmacies and banks with an entrance independent of the mall are permitted to operate from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Persons under the age of 18 and over the age of 65, including pregnant women and those with significant health problems, may not be permitted to visit malls and shopping centers unless they are purchasing vital goods and services or working in establishments located there.

Furthermore, mall goers are only allowed to stay inside the mall for a maximum period of one hour, except for supermarkets where no time limit shall be imposed.

Frontline workers must have a priority lane at mall entrances, and social distancing must be maintained at all times.

Here are the following establishments which are allowed to operate inside the mall:

At 100% capacity:

1. Essential retail trade and service establishments such as supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies or drug stores, laundry shops, water-refilling stations, hardware stores, and office supplies stores;
2. Banks, money transfer services, including pawn shops, microfinance institutions, and credit cooperatives, including their armored vehicle services, if any;
3. Logistics service providers (delivery and courier services, cargo handling, warehousing, trucking, freight forwarding, port operations and shipping line);
4. Dental, rehabilitation, optometry and other medical clinics; Provided that there is strict observance of infection prevention and control protocols. provided, further, that dental procedures shall be limited to emergency cases only and that the wearing of full Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) by dentists and attendants shall be mandatory. Provided, finally, that home service therapy for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) shall be allowed;
5. Veterinary clinics;
6. Business processing outsourcing establishments;
7. Telecommunications companies, internet service providers, cable television providers, including those who perform indirect services such as the technical sales and other support personnel, as well as the employees of their third-party contractions doing sales, installation, maintenance and repair works;
8. Public and private financial service providers involved in the distribution of government grants and amelioration subsidies;
9. Printing establishments authorized by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other government agencies to print accountable forms and other security documents;
10. Establishments engaged in repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment, including those engaged in the repair of computers and household fixtures and equipment;

At limited capacity:

1. Food preparation establishments such as commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, at fifty percent (50%) venue capacity for al fresco or outdoor dining, indoor dining shall be prohibited.
2. Non-leisure wholesale and retail establishments at 50% capacity; and
3. Personal care services which include beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops, medical aesthetic clinics, cosmetic or derma clinics, nails spas, reflexology, aesthetics, wellness and holistic centers and other similar establishments at thirty percent (30%) venue or seating capacity, provided, that only services that can accommodate the wearing of face masks at all times by patrons/clients and service providers shall be allowed.

Here are the following establishments which are not allowed to open inside malls:

1. Indoor non-contact sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms or other indoor leisure centers or facilities;
2. Entertainment venues with live performances such as karaoke bars, bars, clubs, leisure centers or facilities;
3. Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues; and
4. Kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom and kiddie rides.

This executive order will stay in effect until the province’s MECQ is lifted.

READ: Cavite to remain under MECQ until September 7

Thumbnail photo by WeLoveBarcelona.de on Unsplash