BENGUET officials called all stakeholders transacting business at the vegetable trading areas in the province to wear face masks and observe social distancing as a precautionary measure against coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“To our dear farmers, sellers, and buyers at the trading post please observe social distancing. Let’s take this pandemic seriously,” an advisory by the provincial government on Saturday, March 21, stated.
The Local Government Unit of La Trinidad on the same day reiterated the call for all stakeholders in the town to also wear masks and observe social distancing of at least one meter.
Agot Balanoy of the League of Associations in La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post (LTVTP) Inc. said traders are not allowed to enter the area without a mask on.
She also cited packers and porters are mandated to wear a mask and at the same time given certification by their disposer-employer or their association that they are employed as packers porters.
In addition, IDs are being processed by the local government for the period of quarantine for easy identification of packers/porters.
“Disposers have cut down number of packers so as to maintain social distancing. For example, if one disposer regularly hires 10, these 10 will be scheduled on a five per day basis, disposers have strictly advised packers and porters who are sick should not come to work,” she said.
Balanoy added once inside the trading post, no one is allowed to exit unless it is time to go home saying the trading post usually operates from three in the morning to nine in the afternoon but to date operates from five in the morning to six in the afternoon only.
La Trinidad is home to two vegetable trading centers- LTVTP Inc. and the Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC).
At BAPTC, chief of operations Violeta Salda previously reported precautionary measures at the trading center are presence of hygienic materials and proper hand washing.
According to World Health Organization, before putting on masks, public are asked to clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water and to cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between the face and the mask.
WHO said the Covid-19 can be transmitted in all areas, including areas with hot and humid weather.