Hotels to reopen in GCQ areas – DTI

MANILA, Philippines — Hotels will be allowed to operate in areas under general community quarantine or GCQ, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said yesterday.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a Viber message that hotels may operate and accept bookings under general quarantine.

Hotels, resorts, tourist inns and motels are not allowed to operate during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), in effect since March 17 in Metro Manila and other major urban centers deemed at “high risk” for COVID-19 contagion.

The government is expected to release today the guidelines for relaxing quarantine restrictions by April 30.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the easing of restrictions in areas under general quarantine or those with low to moderate coronavirus risks would be gradual. 

“Tomorrow, I am sure we will make public the guidelines of the GCQ in our press briefing. This is what we call the master plan because this will be our strategy,” Roque said at a press briefing yesterday.

“We won’t fully open our economy yet. It will be gradual. It is important to finalize the guidelines and the IATF (interagency task force for the management of emerging infectious diseases) is meeting while we are holding this press briefing,” he said.

Earlier, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said select hotels with checked-in guests on long-term leases are allowed to operate during the quarantine period, but are prohibited from accepting new bookings.

Apart from those with checked-in guests, hotels accommodating employees from exempted establishments under the provisions of the executive secretary’s March 16 memorandum may likewise continue operations and accept new bookings, DOT also said.

Exempted establishments include those providing basic necessities and related to food and supermarkets, grocery stores, hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies and drugstores, food preparation and delivery services, water-refilling stations, manufacturing and processing plants of basic food products and medicines, banks, money transfer services, power, energy, water and telecommunications supplies and facilities.

Areas considered to be moderate-to-low risk for the novel coronavirus would be placed under GCQ starting May 1.

Under general quarantine, enterprises offering non-leisure services would be allowed to resume operations in malls.

Construction, manufacturing, e-commerce and delivery services for both essential and non-essential products, repair and maintenance services, as well as housing and office services, are allowed 50 percent or up to 100 percent of operations during general community quarantine.

Business process outsourcing (BPO) firms and exporters are also allowed to operate up to 100 percent of the workforce under the general community quarantine.

Others which may fully operate during the GCQ are agriculture, fishery, forestry, food manufacturing and its entire supply chain (including ink, packaging, raw materials); food retail (supermarket, market restaurant for takeout and delivery only); health care (hospitals, clinics, drugstores); logistics, water, energy, internet, telecoms and media.

Under an enhanced community quarantine, the government allows firms engaged in the production of food, essential products and medicines and medical products; retail establishments; logistics service providers; hospitals and medical clinics; those involved in food preparation and water refilling stations; delivery services; banks and capital markets; power, energy, water, information technology and telecommunications, waste disposal services; as well as exporters and BPO firms to operate but on skeleton workforce.

High-risk areas for COVID-19 such as Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Albay, Catanduanes, Aklan and Capiz, will continue to be on ECQ until May 15.

Provinces like Benguet, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, Antique, Iloilo, Cebu including Cebu City, Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro as well as Davao City, would also be under enhanced quarantine, but still subject to review.

‘Very good move’

Allowing the resumption of most businesses under GCQ beginning May 1 is “a very good move” according to Vice President Leni Robredo as it will balance economic security and the well-being of the people.

“If we look at the elements of the GCQ, it’s not total easing of everything, some are just relaxed, it’s still not back to normal. I think it is a very good move as it will balance the economy and (disease) prevention,” Robredo said in an interview with CNN-Philippines.

Robredo also expressed support for the government’s decision to extend the ECQ period in some areas, including Metro Manila.

“It’s a tough balancing act, but we think there’s really a need to extend the quarantine in areas where the risk remains high,” she said.

The Vice President added the government must “not waste” the second extension of the ECQ and that it should boost the country’s health system in fighting the pandemic.

 “The ECQ is not a cure to the virus. The ECQ only gives us time to prepare. The extension, from May 1 to May 15, should give us more time to prepare for another surge. Hopefully, there will be none. But they (government) should equip our healthcare system,” Robredo said.

“I hope they would not waste the time in its preparations, because preparation is really a key, a speedy decision-making is key,” she added.

Robredo also called on the government to speed up distribution of the social amelioration fund to intended beneficiaries to lessen their worries amid the prolonged lockdown. 

Sen. Nancy Binay, for her part, said the IATF should come up with a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow “blue book” for the public, local government units and essential businesses in the private sector to serve as a guide on what to do and expect once ECQ is relaxed or lifted on May 15.

“We are asking the people to embrace the new normal. But the question is, Is the government and the private sector ready for the new normal?” Binay said.

“It’s filling in the details. This is about guiding the public of what to expect once restrictions in traveling and going to work are relaxed, and how to manage people’s expectations. A ‘blue book’ also serves as a handy instruction manual for essential businesses on how to retrofit their establishments to the new normal,” Binay pointed out.

She said the current IATF guidelines have enough content that could be made into an illustrated format for use as a handbook for public transport operators, building management firms, schools, restaurants, hotels, shops, amusement and entertainment centers.

“From this week until the end of May, there should be infomercials on TV and social media, downloadable pamphlets, and posters about the expected changes in a new normal world. Like FAQs to answer all questions and to institutionalize minimum public health protocols like personal hygiene, and social distancing in a more systematic fashion,” the senator said.

Binay added that even before the expected May 15 lifting, the IATF should share with the public its roadmap for transitioning to the so-called new normal.

“It’s a given that we will have to live with the virus every day in our lives until a vaccine is available. It is important for the government to inform the public about public-private initiated exit plans at strategic transition roadmaps to allow us to prepare and adjust,” she said.

 “Before May 15, preventive measures should already be in place in order to minimize the risk of community infection. This is why the government must launch an aggressive multi-sectoral information campaign so that the exit plan is coordinated, and the people are fully informed, engaged and accountable to live under a new normal,” the senator noted.

New flying policy

Meanwhile, AirAsia Group said it is making adjustments in some of its policies “when the skies reopen for all of us to travel again.”

“A lot of our normal life has taken a new normal turn. And flying will just be one of them. But that just means that we are travelling with heightened steps when it comes to safety and health, which is good for everyone,” AirAsia chief safety officer Ling Liong Tien said.

The low cost carrier said the new policy would include requiring all its guests to bring and wear their own masks before, during and after the flight, including during check in and bag collection. Guests without a mask would be denied boarding, it said.

The airline will also have a new cabin baggage policy to facilitate social distancing especially during embarkation and disembarkation.

“We will only allow one piece of cabin baggage not exceeding five kg for each guest. This will help minimize unwanted contact between you and another guest’s baggage and vice versa,” Tien said.

AirAsia said temperature checks at different checkpoints, including boarding gates, would also be made. This will include all of its crew after every shift.

The carrier assured clients that its cabin crew would be wearing protective equipment including masks and gloves, and they will be trained with procedures on how to manage suspected patients or passengers who are unwell onboard.

AirAsia said social distancing would also be observed, as there will be floor markers at queuing areas, including check-in counters and kiosks.

“Safety is the most crucial component of the aviation industry, and we will definitely continue to strive towards ensuring that this ever-important mode of connectivity meets all required health and safety standards for both our employees and our guests,” he said. -Alexis Romero, Helen Flores, Richmond Mercurio, Cecille Suerte Felipe