IF THE need arises, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 said malls and establishments can request for increased police visibility to ensure physical distancing is observed among shoppers.

DTI Assistant Secretary Asteria Caberte said this is to keep the influx of people, especially in malls, at bay.

“This is if Cebu will be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). We have to anticipate the number of people that might flock to the malls,” Caberte said.

MGCQ is the most relaxed among the community quarantines, allowing almost all businesses to open.

She said mall operators have to prepare for the expected surge of foot traffic from mall goers, and that mall personnel should strictly enforce social distancing to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.

Under the MGCQ limited dine-in operations in restaurants would also be allowed.

Cebu Province has already appealed to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases to transition to MGCQ after its GCQ status will end on Friday, June 12.

Cebu City’s GCQ status will end on June 15 while Mandaue City’s GCQ will end on June 16.

Caberte said they already sent advisories to malls and other businesses, urging them to comply with the government-set standards under the new normal business condition.

“Whether we will be placed under MGCQ, they (malls) will have a lot to prepare,” she said.

Salons resume operations

Meanwhile, on Sunday, June 7, salons and barbershops in Cebu resumed operations, observing the new normal protocols for compliance.

Caberte reminded salon and barbershop operators to only offer basic haircut services with no shampoo and to lessen the exposure between the personnel and the client.

The DTI also urged the mandatory wearing of face masks at all times, social distancing, regular sanitation schedule and procedures (a 10-minute interval for sanitation in between clients is required), availability of alternative methods of payment, if applicable and availability of alternative methods of scheduling appointments (e.g., online, text-messaging system) among others as protocol for salons and barbershops.