Trade chief recommends longer store hours for groceries
MANILA, Philippines — Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez on Wednesday urged grocery operators to extend its store hours to avoid crowding of shoppers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Luzon enters its third week into the enhanced community quarantine, Lopez, in a virtual “Laging Handa” presser, said he is recommending grocery stores to extend their hours.
“When you shorten the store hours, people crowd because of the limited window hours to buy [essentials],” Lopez pointed out in Filipino.
The Trade chief said grocery stores need not resume to their normal store hours, but he urges them to extend their operations.
Last week, Interior and Local Government chief Eduardo Año told local government units to lift “window hours” for people going out to buy essential supplies.
He pointed out that setting hours for buying food at the market only results in clustering of people, defeating the practice of social distancing—a new term for people staying away from crowds and being at least six feet away from each other.
The Luzon-wide enchanced community quarantine took effect at midnight on March 17 and the government has been refining the guidelines for it in clarificatory briefings and issuances.
The Philippines reported its single biggest jump in the number of new COVID-19 infections in the country on Tuesday.
National tally of COVID-19 cases in the country is at 2,084, while death toll is at 88.
The country has so far conducted 15,337 tests, including retests and validation. DOH figures revealed that 3,938 persons have been tested since late January. — Kristine Joy Patag
Photo shows members of the Philippine National Police deployed in Manila amid COVID-19 threat. The STAR/Edd Gumban
President Rodrigo Duterte on March 16, 2020 declares an enhanced community quarantine over all of mainland Luzon, an expansion of an earlier general community quarantine over the National Capital Region.
The entire National Capital Region—16 cities and a municipality—is under community quarantine from March 15 to April 14, which means the enforcement of social distancing measures like letting fewer people on public transportation, reduced store hours, and the possibiity of curfews.
According to a memorandum issued by the Palace on Saturday, March 14, the quarantine means that "movement of people shall be limited to accessing basic necessities and work; and uniformed personnel and quarantine officers shall be present at border points."
Travel restrictions in and out of the capital will also be implemented.
A labor group says another lockdown will never resolve rising COVID-19 cases in the Philippines after the government announced that Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal are placed under the enhanced community quarantine starting Monday.
“The Duterte government seems to be deliberate in focusing its efforts in imposing quarantine and lockdown measures instead of addressing the rising cases of COVID-19 and the worsening state of the pandemic through medical solutions and scientific approach,” says Defend Jobs Philippines.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says the implementation of enhanced community quarantine is meant to slow down the increase of COVID-19 cases, so hospitals and health workers will not be overwhelmed.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announces that Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal are placed under enhanced community quarantine starting Monday, March 29.
Tuguegarao City will be placed under enhanced community quarantine from January 20 to 29 due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city.
Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba approved the request of Tuguegarao Mayor Jefferson Soriano to place the city under ECQ for 10 days.
According to the Cagayan Provincial Information Office, the city currently has 246 active cases.
BREAKING NEWS | ENERO 19, 2021 RIATF INAPRUBAHAN NA ANG PAGSASAILALIM SA TUGUEGARAO CITY SA 10-ARAW NA...
Posted by Cagayan Provincial Information Office on Tuesday, 19 January 2021
Batangas, one of the provinces hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, has reported no new cases of the disease for two consecutive days.
The provincial DOH Office says the number of COVID-19 cases in the province stood at 91 with no new cases as of Wednesday afternoon.
Lipa City has the most cases with 26, followed by Batangas City (21) and Nasugbu (11).
Tanauan City has the fourth most cases with eight, followed by Bauan (5) and Alitagtag (3). Cuenca and Sto. Tomas City had two cases each, while the municipalities of Calaca, Lemery, Lian, Lobo, Mabini, Mataas na Kahoy, Padre Garcia, San Jose, San Juan, San Pascual and Taal had one case each, respectively. — The Filipino Connection
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