(Photo from Quezon City government Facebook page)
MANILA – The Quezon City government on Wednesday reminded its residents and establishments to avoid the "three Cs" to control the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“All establishments must, to the greatest extent feasible, implement minimum health standards to avoid or mitigate the following “3 Cs”: Confined spaces with poor ventilation; crowded places with no physical distancing; and close-contact settings with face to face interaction,” according to the Sept. 14 memorandum released by Mayor Joy Belmonte and to take effect on Thursday.
The memorandum contains the guidelines to be observed during Alert Level 4 status until Sept. 30 and in the Special Concern Lockdown Areas in the city.
The city government may order, at any time, the closure of an establishment, even if they are listed under those that are allowed to operate if they violate the three Cs, Belmonte stressed.
She said establishments that are confined and enclosed must either ensure sufficient ventilation through open windows or maintain efficient air conditioning systems following applicable building and health standards.
To avoid being crowded, the city government said establishments should enforce the observance of two meters distance among all persons, or at least with a one-meter distance as the absolute minimum, when completely unavoidable.
Moreover, establishments are encouraged to implement a contactless transaction whenever feasible, by using online facilities, touchscreens, or placing cash in baskets instead of transferring payment, and documents among others through hand-to-hand.
In cases where face-to-face transactions are unavoidable, the establishment must strictly enforce the use of face masks and face shields, and ensure sufficient ventilation.
High-touch surfaces like buttons, switches, handles, doorknobs, counters, faucets, sinks, and the like should be regularly disinfected. High-touch surfaces are those that people frequently touch with their hands, which could therefore become easily contaminated.
Belmonte added that she has tasked the Business Permits and Licensing Department as well as the Department of the Building Official to conduct random inspections to ensure compliance with the issued guidelines.
The city government noted that data from the OCTA Research showed that as of Tuesday, the number of Covid-19 infections continues to increase, based on the data from the Department of Health and the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit.
Meanwhile, the city’s positivity rate remains at 25 percent, which means that one in every four persons tested for Covid-19 yields a positive result.
As of Sept. 15, Quezon City has 12,491 active cases, 134,936 recoveries, with 1,379 deaths. (PNA)
