Año threatens to close malls if they fail to follow quarantine protocols

May 17, 2020

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on Sunday warned all malls, which have begun limited operations, that they would be closed if they fail to strictly enforce the quarantine rules, such as physical distancing and limited number of shoppers.

Año directed all local government units (LGUs) and the Joint Task Force COVID Shield under Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar to inspect all malls and talk to their respective managements about the observance of the Department of Health's (DOH) prescribed minimum health standards and quarantine protocols.

“All Chiefs of Police and Police Community Precinct (PCP) Commanders should make rounds of all malls prior to opening and during operating hours. If the malls are not able to comply with the minimum health standards, the PNP (Philippine National Police) can close the malls and charge the mall owners with violation of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act,” he said.

Año made the statement after photos and videos of mall goers violating the physical distancing went viral on the social media.

The secretary also said that all PNP checkpoints would remain in all areas under community quarantine, whether enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), modified ECQ or general community quarantine (GCQ) or modified GCQ.

“The general rule continues to be ‘stay at home’ unless accessing essential services or going to work in permitted industries. Those found to be unauthorized will be fined, issued citation tickets, or detained if they refuse to go home,” he said.

Año said while there would be more vehicles on the road because of opening of some industries, this does not mean that the PNP would be less strict in implementing the law.

“Hence, everyone must bring with them their government-issued ID Cards or company IDs or other proofs of employment in industries allowed to operate so that the PNP will have a basis to allow you to go through,” he said.

He also said that mobile checkpoints would be set up in strategic places to ensure compliance with community quarantine regulations.

“All LGUs in the exercise of their police power will also continue to implement the curfew in their respective areas subject to the provisions of their respective ordinances,” he said.

Año also clarified that since the community quarantine is still in effect all over the country, barangays and LGUs would continue to issue quarantine passes to regulate the movement of people so long as these comply with valid exemptions granted by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

Meanwhile, Eleazar said they have already forwarded the names of the malls and other business establishments where physical distancing was violated to the concerned police commanders.

“These commanders were instructed to warn the management of these malls and make sure that the warning be personally relayed to the mall management and other similar establishments,” he said.

“Other police commanders should also initiate meeting with the mall management to remind them of the protocol and warn them of the consequences if they would fail to observe the protocols,” he added.

Based on the guidelines, mall security managers should have already computed how wide the mall common areas in order for them to have an idea on the maximum people that would be allowed inside.

The rule is that each two square meters of the common areas of the mall is limited to one person only. Shop owners inside the mall should also control the persons going inside their shops to observe social distancing.

Security guards and mall employees should also be on a regular patrol inside the mall to observe and remind people of the rules on social distancing and wearing of face masks.

Those who could not be accommodated after the mall reaches the maximum capacity would have to queue outside the mall and wait for their turn to replace those who would exit the establishment. Physical distancing should be observed in the waiting area outside the mall. Ella Dionisio/DMS