Mall security managers are warned that failure of implementing safe physical distancing will result in the closure of their establishments again, according to the statement of Joint Task Force Covid Shield commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.
Eleazer made these warnings after witnessing the quick crowding in reopened malls on Saturday, first day of the less strict modified enhanced community quarantine.
“As per instruction of the SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año), we will not only facilitate the closure of these malls but will also initiate the filing of appropriate charges against the management,” Eleazar said.
Police commanders have been directed to regularly monitor the movement of people inside the malls in their respective areas of responsibility to ensure that the basic quarantine rules are observed such as safe physical distancing and wearing of face masks.
They were also instructed to familiarize themselves with other guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the resumption of mall operations and other businesses.
The JTF Covid Shield, composed of the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fire Protection, is the enforcement arm of the IATF-EID.
Based on the released guidelines, mall security managers should compute their establishments’ common areas to get a general idea on the maximum number of people that would be allowed inside without risking the transmission of coronavirus. The rule is that each two square meters of the common areas of the mall is limited to one person only.
Those who could not be accommodated when the mall reach the maximum capacity will have to queue up outside the mall and wait for their turn to replace those who would exit the mall.
Stall and shop owners are also responsible for their customer’s physical distancing. Security guards and mall employees should also be on alert inside the mall to observe and remind people of the rules on safe distancing and wearing of face masks.
Despite the difficulties in transitioning Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac remains optimistic that the public will quickly adapt to the new set of protocols.
“We were quite alarmed, but this is understandable. As days go by, we will continue to learn, collaborate, and adjust accordingly our enforcement of MECQ guidelines,” Banac said in a statement. “After all, this is the new normal, we all must learn to live with it.”
