THE Bacolod City Council approved a resolution requesting all business establishments allowed to operate to comply with the minimum health standards set under the Department of Health (DOH) Administrative Order No. 2020-0015 and the DTI-Dole Interim Guidelines on workplace prevention and control of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The resolution, authored by Councilor Simplicia Distrito with her co-authors Councilors Al Victor Espino, Dindo Ramos, Ann Marie Palermo and Bartolome Orola, was approved during the regular session of the City Council Wednesday, July 8, 2020.
Distrito said these policies require that employees must be provided by the employer with resources and materials needed to keep the workers healthy and the workplace safe.
She said DOH Administrative Order No. 2020-0015 mandates that barriers must be installed to practice physical distancing and as a way to prevent transmission of Covid-19.
"It has been observed that several establishments in the city are not observing the guidelines, for instance, there are pharmacies that operate without barriers, face shields or face masks and gloves," she added.
Distrito noted that there are business establishments that do not take physical distancing seriously by just letting their customers get inside without considering their number nor place lanes with proper distance for queueing clients.
Distrito disclosed that such measures imposed by guidelines should not be taken for granted because they are among the best way to reduce or to stop the spread of the dreaded disease.