Ahead of the official announcement yesterday of the new alert levels, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez has proposed the opening of all businesses – except those high-risk non-essential – in all quarantine levels but at varying capacities.
This is to ensure continuity of operations at all times even when quarantine restrictions change, averting more revenue and job losses.
Lopez also said he proposes vaccination requirements should only be imposed during the highest Alert Level 4, for indoor operations like dine-in, personal care services and gyms.
Elsewhere, customers and workers should be allowed in business establishments regardless of vaccination status.
“The good approach is to have continuity in operations and jobs, regardless of alert level but changes will only be in the operating capacities for continuity and notonly in operating capacity. So there’s continuity, not an open-close-open system,” Lopez said in a text message to reporters.
Lopez cited as an example the current Alert Level 4 in the National Capital Region in which the government allowed dine-in and personal care services, even at low capacity of 10 percent for fully vaccinated customers in establishments with fully-vaccinated staff and 30 percent for al fresco, regardless of vaccination status.
“The next study now could be adjusting the 10 percent indoor to 20 or 30 percent for all vaccinated customers and workers for Alert Level 4 and for outdoor from 30 to 50 percent, regardless of vaccination status,” Lopez added.
But for now, he said, it may be too early to change these percentages.
“What can be done is to recognize the Safety Seal system also in Alert Level 4, so we can add 10 percentage points to these activities,” he added.
Lopez said he is optimistic the Interagency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will approve his proposal to allow gyms and other indoor exercise facilities to operate under Alert Level 4 at 20 percent of their capacity, saying exercising is an essental activity to boost one’s immune system.
This, he said, will pave the way for the reopening of some 3,000 gyms in the country. Capacities can be adjusted upwards under Alert Levels 3, 2 and 1.
But Lopez said even as he proposes more businesses to open, there will likely be an exclusion list , albeit shorter, for non-essential and high-risk activities,At present, cinemas, casinos, entertainment and concerts remain prohibited.
At the Lagng Handa public briefing, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat said the agency targets to vaccinate all workers in the industry to be vaccinated before Christmas.
At present, 99 percent of all workers in hotels and restaurants accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in the National Capital Region have been vaccinated but nationally, the average is a low of 53 percent.
Puyat said the DOT continues to push for the lifting of age requirements in travel especially now that even at Level 4 leisure travel and dine-in in hotel restaurants are allowed.
Staycations remain prohibited. – Irma Isip
