MEMO-GCQ_Additional_Guidelines_14-June-2020

MEMORANDUM FOR

:

All Quezon City Barangays All Departments, Offices, and Task Forces of the Quezon City Government Quezon City Police District All Concerned Sectors The General Public

FROM

:

MA. JOSEFINA G. BELMONTE City Mayor

SUBJECT

:

Additional Guidelines for General Community Quarantine (GCQ)

DATE

:

June 14, 2020

____________________________________________________________________________

BACKGROUND On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. On March 13, 2020, due to the pandemic, the City Council declared Quezon City to be under a state of calamity. On March 16, 2020, the President declared an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) over the entire Luzon Island.

On May 28, 2020, the IATF recommended to the President to place NCR under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) starting on June 1, 2020. The City issued GCQ Guidelines on May 29, 2020. The City hereby supplements its GCQ Guidelines with these Additional Guidelines, which shall apply starting June 15, 2020.

1.

Additional General Community Quarantine (GCQ) Guidelines. The following guidelines shall be observed: a.

Public Safety Hours From 10pm to 5am. Public safety hours shall be between 10 pm and 5 am. During these hours, all persons should be at home, except for those still out for purposes of work, or dealing with emergencies, or for purposes of air/sea travel as shown by tickets; b.

Religious Services Remain Restricted. Religious gatherings shall remain limited to not more than ten (10) persons. c.

Limited Public Transportation. DOTr-authorized buses pursuant to the Department’s Rationalized Bus Routes provided for in LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2020-019, as well as MRT/LRT and PNR train services, taxis, transport network vehicle (TNV) services, shuttle services, point-to-point buses, and bicycles shall continue to operate. Additional buses, utility vehicle (UV) Page 1 of 7

express and DOTr-permitted jeepney types may likewise operate starting on June 22, 2020. Each transport type shall comply with the following restrictions, subject to any additional IATF or DOTr guidelines: i. Maximum of 50% passenger seating capacity, with no standing passengers; passengers should be one seat apart; provided that taxis and car-type TNVs may have a maximum of three passengers (one beside the driver and two at the back); ii. Provide a non-permeable transparent barrier between the driver and the passengers; iii. Drivers should observe other precautionary measures such as sanitizing and wearing of face masks; and iv. No face mask, no ride policy.

The City Government may expand its current “Libreng Sakay” bus services to further augment the aforementioned modes of allowed public transportation, and accommodate residents traveling to and from permitted establishments.

Barangays are called upon to provide free bicycle parking spaces, to which the said “Libreng Sakay” bus services will be extended. Residents are encouraged to adopt bicycle-riding as a mode of last-mile transport.

The City’s “Libreng Sakay” bus service will continue to serve the following routes: I. II.

SM Fairview to Quezon City Hall (via Commonwealth Avenue to Quezon Avenue MRT 3 Station), and v.v.; Novaliches Proper/SB Park to Quezon City Hall (via Quirino Highway, Mindanao Avenue and North Avenue MRT 3 Station), and v.v.; Quezon City Hall to E. Rodriguez Avenue/Ortigas Avenue Flyover (via Katipunan Avenue and Eastwood City), and v.v.; and Welcome Rotonda to Quezon City Hall (via Quezon Avenue), and v.v..

III. IV.

Tricycles may operate provided that each tricycle shall observe the following, subject to any additional guidelines from the Tricycle Franchising Board (TFB) or Tricycle Regulatory Division (TRD): i. Have only one (1) passenger, except in an emergency or when a passenger is a PWD or needs assistance due to illness; ii. Strictly implement no back-ride policy; iii. Provide a non-permeable motorcycle and the sidecar;

transparent

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iv. Drivers should observe other precautionary measures such as sanitizing, and wearing of face masks; and v. Set aside time for thorough disinfection of the unit. Also, the City Page 2 of 7

may consider adjusting the current fare matrix and issuing additional guidelines.

Prior to operating, all drivers covered in this subsection are required to undergo health screening at any health center to determine whether they should be tested for COVID-19 and to ensure that they are fit to work.

2.

Limited Dine-In Operations Permitted. Food establishments may operate dine-in services starting on June 15, 2020, provided that on a case-by-case basis, the City may require any establishments near or within Special Concern Lockdown areas or other high-risk areas to remain closed. Dine-in establishments should coordinate with their concerned Barangays to determine the status of their area. Establishments shall comply with the DTI Guidelines on Minimum Health Protocol for Dine-In restaurants and Fast Food Restaurants, and the following minimum standards: a.

Entry and Exit i.

Establishments should have a separate entrance and exit, to the extent feasible;

ii.

Only persons with face masks should be allowed to enter. They may remove their face masks only while eating and drinking;

iii.

Post signs in prominent places reminding people to observe physical distancing and other basic safety precautions;

iv.

All establishments should have hand sanitizing or washing stations at each ingress and egress point. Establishments shall subject all individuals entering to thermal scanning, to the extent feasible.

Individuals with temperatures exceeding 37.5° C shall not be allowed to enter the establishment and should be referred to medical assistance.

v.

Each establishment should have a list of the names and contact numbers of: (i) all customers entering; and (ii) all persons directly handling food orders or product purchases. The establishment should be ready to present the list to City health officials at any time required in the event of contact tracing. The foregoing shall apply to both on-site purchases and delivery, including the suppliers of the establishments.

vi.

Food couriers providing pickup and delivery services in respect of food establishments shall also maintain a list of the names and contact numbers of (i) all customer orders and (ii) all persons directly handling food orders or product purchases. The list should be readily available to City health officials at any time for contact tracing purposes.

vii.

Persons 60 years old and above may be allowed entry for dine-in, provided that physical distancing measures and face masks are complied with, and on the presumption that they have left home only for indispensable or essential reasons. Persons below 21 years old who are already working may be allowed to dine-in as well.

viii.

Diners are strongly encouraged to bring their personal pens for writing in logbooks.

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b.

Store Layout i.

Stores should provide proper waiting or queueing areas where floor markings, sitting arrangements and other forms of physical distancing measures can be applied.

ii.

Places where persons may naturally congregate, such as queues, elevators, escalators, walkways, restrooms and other transit points, should have floor markers, barriers or other means of encouraging people to socially distance;

iii.

Customers shall sit one seat apart, or a minimum of one meter distance from one another;

iv.

A la carte dining only; self-service arrangements such as buffet, Lazy Susan, family-style or lauriat are prohibited;

v.

Refrain from sharing condiments or condiment containers. Each customer should be provided with separate servings of condiments;

vi.

Maximum of 10 persons for any group reservation, provided in any case that one seat apart distance should be maintained;

vii.

Where physical distancing is not feasible, impermeable dividers should be placed between seats to prevent physical contact;

viii.

An assigned personnel may be deployed to manage personal movement.

ix.

Check restrooms regularly and clean and sanitize them based on frequency of use;

x.

If kitchen workstations are limited in space, staggered number of employees should be assigned to avoid crowding between front and back of the house staff;

xi.

Establish a designated area for the curbside pick up orders separate from the dining area;

c.

Customer Orders and Interaction i. ii.

Alcoholic beverages may be served only between 1 pm to 5 pm; Customers should be courteously reminded not to loiter;

iii.

Limit contact between wait staff and customers; all wait staff should wear face mask, face shield and single service gloves if they have direct contact with the diners.

iv.

Establishments should, to the extent feasible, provide no contact facilities for their customers or clients, such as using online interfaces, electronic menus, reservation-only or pre-arranged services,

v.

Each table should have its own menu, to avoid menu sharing; menus should be posted online to allow advance orders;

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vi.

Stores are encouraged to use digital or cashless payment schemes and the like.

vii.

Shorten customers or diners time in store by encouraging them to place orders online.

d.

Sanitation i.

Regular disinfection must be conducted for all high-touch objects and high-traffic areas including but not limited to door handles, elevator buttons, fingerprint scanners, railings, keypads, hard surfaces, counters, tables and chairs, washrooms and toilets.

ii.

To the extent feasible, establishments should conduct thorough disinfectant spraying and misting of all facilities.

iii.

All employees shall be required to wear face masks, and encouraged to engage in frequent handwashing or disinfection of hands. Management shall ensure that employees have sufficient provisions of soap, alcohol and other appropriate hygiene products.

iv.

Establishments should designate one day per week for thorough disinfection.

v.

Establishments are strongly encouraged to install high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in their ventilation or air conditioning units.

vi.

Stores should determine their own waste segregation and separation process for infectious waste, including the disposal of used face masks and other protective clothing. A waste bin or bag should be designated for this, and whenever possible the use of transparent yellow bags, or properly labeled bags. The foregoing may be subject to the additional guidelines to be issued by the Environment Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD) and Task Force Solid Waste Management (TF SWM).

e.

Employee Safety i.

All establishments must assign a Health and Safety Officer accountable for ensuring that these guidelines are strictly implemented in addition to compliance with the usual occupational health and safety standards and regulations.

ii.

The management of each establishment shall, to the extent feasible, undertake regular health checks for employees, including daily temperature checks. Persons exhibiting elevated temperature, or who are otherwise exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms such as a fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing or body aches, shall not be allowed to remain in close contact with other persons and shall be referred to immediate medical attention. No worker shall be required to report for or remain at work if he or she exhibits COVID-19 symptoms.

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iii.

Within the first week of operations, an establishment with 10 or more employees shall be required to submit by email to the City Health Department its program for COVID-19 health screening, in accordance with DOH Administrative Order No. 2020-0180 and the joint DTIDOLE Interim Guidelines signed on April 30, 2020, at cost to the establishment. It is not necessary to test every employee before they may return to work, provided that at the minimum, persons exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms should be tested.

iv.

On the other hand, establishments with less than 10 employees are encouraged to have their employees subjected to health screening at any health center. If an employee exhibits COVID-19 symptoms and fits other DOH testing criteria, they may be tested at any of the City’s community-based testing centers in coordination with the City Health Department. In any case, employees testing positive or showing COVID-19 symptoms must be promptly isolated and treated.

v.

In case any establishment becomes aware of any suspect, probable or confirmed COVID-19 case among their staff, the establishment should immediately report the same by telephone or email to the City Health Department, using the contact details in the attached Annex.

3.

Contract Tracing Apps. The City may launch contact tracing apps and other electronic means of disease surveillance. The public is strongly encouraged to use and cooperate with any such apps developed by the City.

4.

Enforcement and Violation. The City may deploy surveillance and enforcement teams to verify compliance with these Guidelines, especially the minimum health standards above. Persons that violate these guidelines may be charged under (i) Sec. 9 of Republic Act No. 11332, which penalizes non-cooperation of persons or entities affected by a health event of public concern; and/or (ii) Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code (Resistance and Disobedience to a Person In Authority). Also, the City may revoke the business permit of any offending establishments, as authorized under Republic Act No. 11332.

5.

Duration. These Guidelines shall complement the GCQ Guidelines dated May 29, 2020 and shall remain effective until the City Mayor, on recommendation of the City Health Department, determines that the emergency public health measures contained herein may be lifted. Also, these Guidelines are subject to any applicable national government issuance or regulation.

6.

Inquiries and Coordination. Submissions, queries, or any form of coordination with the City Government may be done through the list of contact details attached to this memorandum.

MA. JOSEFINA G. BELMONTE City Mayor

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QUEZON CITY GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION QC Customer Service/Emergency Phone Inquiries:

GCQSupport@quezoncity.gov.ph Dial Hotline 122 8988-4242 loc. 8416 / 8407

Department of Public Order and Safety: DPOS@quezoncity.gov.ph 924-1851

City Health Department: HealthDept@quezoncity.gov.ph 8703-2723 / 8703-8794

Human Resource and Management Department: hresourcemd@quezoncity.gov.ph 8988-4242 loc. 8502 / 8504

Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office: QCDRRMO@quezoncity.gov.ph

Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department: 8988-4242 loc. 8348 / 8349 / 8359

Business Permits and Licensing Department: BPLD@quezoncity.gov.ph 8988-4242 loc. 8282 / 8174

Task Force on Solid Waste Management: 8988-4242 loc. 8362

Small Business Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office: 8988-4242 loc. 8731 / 8734 / 8736

City Veterinary Department: 8988-4242 loc. 8036

Barangay and Community Relations Department: 8988-4242 loc. 8520 / 8526

Tricycle Regulatory Unit: 703-8906 or 710-2256

Department of the Building Official: DBO@quezoncity.gov.ph 8988-4242 loc. 8916 / 8912

Office of the City Administrator: ocadmin@quezoncity.gov.ph 8988-4242 loc. 1101

Tourism Affairs Department: 8988-4242 loc. 8842

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