The government can now have free wifi, colder airconditioning, and even measuring clothes inside the malls.
This is one of the new policies now being implemented in some malls following the easing of government restrictions.
Also, senior citizens are allowed to enter the malls while permitting the sale of liquor.
It could be remembered that under the General Community Quarantine, malls should discontinue its free Wifi, and the air conditioning should be set to 26 degrees Celsius. Only visitors aged 21 to 59 will be allowed to enter the malls.
On the other hand, mall owners and management assured that even though they expect more customers in malls due to the easing of restrictions, they are ready and have protocols in place to ensure that there will be no virus transmission.
Even seniors are allowed to go shopping.
Malls also said they are ready to hold sale events and are just waiting for the government’s signal when they can do it.
Last month, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) pushed to open up the economy further by allowing malls and other businesses to open at 100% capacity under the general community quarantine (GCQ).
“Ngayon isina-suggest natin pwede nang i-100%. Anyway ito ‘yung mga safe na mga trabaho at wala tayong nakikitang transmission dito dahil mahigpit pa rin ang minimum health standard enforcement natin,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Tuesday.
Gov’t allows free wifi, colder air-conditioning in malls
The Trade chief said DTI would propose to have the following establishments operate up to 100% capacity:
- Financial services such as money exchange, insurance, lending companies, pension funding
- Legal and accounting
- Management consultancy
- Architecture and engineering activities
- Science and research and development
- Advertising
- market research
- Computer programming
- Publishing and printing
- Film, music, and TV production
- Recruitment and placement agencies for overseas employment
- Photography services
- Fashion, industrial, graphic, interior design
- Wholesale and retail trade of motor vehicles
As of October 22, the Department of Health reported the total number of COVID-19 cases at 363,888, after 1,664, newly-confirmed cases were added to the list of COVID-19 patients.