A coalition of local chief executives of the NCR is solidly behind a push for more accountability toward universal compliance in wearing face masks, shields and having quarantine passes in public.
Such initiative is a reinforcement of a global acceptance or acknowledgment in stemming the spread of the virus orally as the world’s leading epidemiologists and infectious disease experts believe.
Under the current state of containment, quarantine passes are still a requirement in a number of localities in the mega-city and elsewhere, What this bloc of mayors in the mega-city wish is stricter enforcement and broader coverage of the directive. In addition, a region-wide imposition of curfew will keep the public in retreat and safety inside their homes from 8 pm to 5 am the next day. City mayors are at liberty to lay down ordinances with tougher sanctions or penalties over any infringement of the curfew hours or established safety protocols.
Meanwhile, professionals or workers in authorized industries need only show their company identification cards and are not under the scope of mandated quarantine passes or curfew constraints. With the recent downgrade in quarantine state, restaurants can now lay down the welcome mat to dine in clientele but only on a limited 30 percent venue capacity.
Likewise, beauty salons and barbershops now have the green light to engage customers but only on a limited array of hairstyling services.
“Itong napagkasunduan po namin, ng ating Metro Manila mayors… ay iyong strict compliance ng GCQ,” Paranaque Mayor Olivarez said.
“Ibig sabihin po nito, iyong original na version ng GCQ, iyon po ang paiiralin natin kasi habang tumagal po iyong dati nating GCQ, nag-relax po nang kaunti, nagluwag po siya,” he added.
All NCR mayors share the belief the surge in positive caseload took place immediately after the gradual shift to GCQ from ECQ in mid-June up to the first week of August when the daily caseload count consistently hit north of 3000 for days in a row. Tighter enforcement of safety protocols and not letting our collective guard down will ensure a manageable or acceptable daily caseload count until such time a vaccine is ready for commercial distribution.
