Manila Mayor Isko Moreno announced that restaurants and fast food outlets in Manila City can now accept dine-in customers only at a limited capacity of 30 percent. The mayor said that this was in accordance with the guidelines of the Department of Trade and Industry.
“If you have small businesses, like canteens, or if you own food chains or restaurants, you can now open your dine-in services. We are allowing you, based on the guidelines given to us, 30 percent of your dine-in area can be utilized,” Moreno said in a briefing on Monday. Restaurants must strictly comply with the health protocols set by the national government.
Bureau of Permits Director Levi Facundo also warned businesses that they will not hesitate to shut down those who are not following the protocols. These food establishments will be issued cause orders and if they fail to provide a valid explanation, they will be issued a closure order.
Under the national government protocols, restaurants must ensure that servers are wearing proper personal protective equipment such as face masks and gloves and conduct regular sanitation for all its facilities, as well as use disposable utensils. Customers must also sit diagonally on a table to observe physical distancing. A “no mask, no entry” rule must be followed.
On June 11, the Inter-Agency Task Force approved the recommendation to allow dine-in operations to resume under limited capacity in areas under general community quarantine on June 15. Restaurants and fast food establishments have not been allowed to receive dine-in customers since the beginning of quarantine in March.
As of yesterday, June 15, the city of Manila has 1,151 active cases. Nationwide, there are a total of 26,420 cases with 1,098 deaths and 6,252 recoveries.
Header photo courtesy Bundo Kim on Unsplash
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