Philippines tests restaurant, salon protocols under general quarantine

MANILA - The Department of Trade and Industry said Tuesday it was testing coronavirus protocols for reopening salons, barbershops and restaurant dine-in services in areas under general community quarantine or GCQ.

Some of these establishments on Sunday made a demo of the protocols which include the following, said DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez:

- hand sanitizers and temperature checks at entrances;
- limited entry of customers through queuing numbers;
- non-cash payment through GCash and PayMaya;
- disinfection of grooming tools; and
- disinfection of seats after every customer.

The DTI will submit the proposed protocols to an inter-agency task force on COVID-19. Once the guidelines are approved, business establishments might take 1 or 2 weeks to prepare for reopening, he said.

"Ito pong ginagawa natin, it's an attempt na iyong ibang masasabi nilang ready na sila, baka puwedeng mapagbigyan para makapag-umpisa lang ng hanapbuhay iyong mga nasa industriyang ito," Lopez told DZMM.

(What we are doing is an attempt for the establishments, who will say they are ready, to be allowed to resume their operations so that the workers in this industry can start earning.)

"Assuming mag-GCQ na tayo, siguro ho mga around June 7, bago hopefully mag-June 15, papayagan na sila," he added.

(Assuming that we are placed under GCQ, probably around June 7, hopefully before June 15, they would be allowed.)

Most of the Philippines' urban centers including Metro Manila, which accounts for a third of gross domestic product, eased its 2-month lockdown last May 16 to reboot the shrinking economy and stop job losses.

Philippines sees economy shrinking by 2 to 3.4 percent due to COVID-19

• Philippines sees economy shrinking by 2 to 3.4 percent due to COVID-19

The modified enhanced community quarantine until May 31 still bars salons, barbershops and restaurant dine-in services.

• Which industries can reopen under modified lockdown?