MALACAÑANG on Wednesday announced more industries and business activities in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) like gyms, review centers, internet cafes will already be allowed to partially open and restart operations starting August 1.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), during its 59th meeting on Tuesday, approved Resolution 59 that allowed the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to re-categorize certain industries and businesses identified under Category IV to Category III to enable them to start limited operations in GCQ areas.
Roque said those allowed to resume on a 30 percent capacity in provinces and cities under GCQ are testing and tutorial centers, review centers, gyms, fitness centers and sport facilities, internet cafes, establishments offering personal grooming and aesthetic services, pet grooming, and drive-in cinemas.
In the past months, gyms, fitness studios and sports facilities that offer outdoor facilities for non-contact sports and are located in GCQ areas were only allowed to operate under skeletal force.
Roque said the IATF also approved the resumption of business activities or operations of industries under Category IV that are located in modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) starting August 1.
These activities or industries include those providing full body massage, tattoo and body piercing, live events, entertainment industries, libraries, archives, museums and cultural centers, tourist destinations, language, driving, and dance/acting/voice schools.
Roque said the DTI will come out with specific guidelines for the operations of the establishments. In previous IATF omnibus guidelines, establishments and industries under Category IV have only been allowed to operate up to 50 percent of its capacity.
He said the DTI, in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), is already crafting the mandatory health protocols to guide the operations of establishments falling under categories III and IV.
Roque also said that cockfighting and the operation of cockpits, beer houses and similar establishments primarily serving alcoholic drinks, as well as kid amusement facilities like playrooms and rides will remain prohibited regardless of the level or form of community quarantine that is in effect in an area.
President Duterte is expected to announce on Thursday night the new community quarantine classifications for August 1 to 15.
