Malls will require quarantine passes, IDs for persons to enter
Joint Task Force COVID Shield on Tuesday said malls will require quarantine passes and identification cards from shoppers, especially in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
In an interview with reporters, Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, JTF commander, said they meet with mall security managers nationwide to discuss strict implementation of rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Here in Metro Manila, almost all of them, except I think Marikina (City) has quarantine process and since the IATF (Interagency Task Force) required only one member per household would avail the goods and services provided by the permitted establishments… we require now that those going to malls to avail goods and services should have quarantine pass generally in their respective localities,” Eleazar said.
Discussed also during the meeting is whether quarantine pass from nearby cities or areas would be honored.
Eleazar said there were some malls and other business establishments which are located near the boundary of tri-boundary of areas like the Robinsons Place Galleria, SM Megamall and Shangri-la mall.
“We are still finalizing the nearby cities… and once we find out then there must be coordination also through the different police districts so they will be allow to pass through quarantine control points (QCPs) or concerned checkpoints,” he said.
In the case of Marikina City, Eleazae said they will leave the matter to the local police, the local government units and mall managers to come up with a guideline.
Also proposed in the meeting is for security personnel to check those who are entering their establishments in the parking area before shoppers can go down.
“Because from there, they will know if that person is allowed to avail of the services. Well of course workers will not have a problem but if you will avail of the goods and services, remember we are in MECQ and only one person is allowed,” Eleazar said.
“So basically it should only be the driver unless they are driving for some who will avail of medical services,” he added.
Those who will be found violating the quarantine guidelines cannot enter the parking areas and even establishments.
For the mall management, Eleazar said they know how many shoppers are only allowed inside their establishments.
“One they are inside, it is the responsibility of the guards or the personnel to man these shops or establishments to caution (the people) and maintain physical distancing inside the shop,” he said.
Eleazar said the meeting was held to remind security managers of anti-coronavirus protocols that have been agreed to be implemented as a condition for reopening of the malls under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) and even the General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
“Let us not make the malls the ground zero of the new wave of coronavirus infection. Let us work together to start the normalization of your business while at the same time observing each and everyone’s obligation to protect the health of the Filipino people,” he said.
Eleazar said while he is certain mall security managers want to protect employees and customers from COVID-19, it could be an exercise in futility if proper implementation of protocols are not observed.
Eleazar cited what happened in the first day malls reopened on May 16, where people, freed from two months of being quarantined in their homes, flocked to these establishments, disregarding social distancing.
“It all boils down really on implementation. We trust that all our mall managers already learned the lessons from the incidents in some malls in order to come up with better implementation of our protocols,” he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS
