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Philippines

Valenzuela LGU shuts down convenience store for violating COVID-19 health protocols

Philippines

Valenzuela LGU shuts down convenience store for violating COVID-19 health protocols

By Joseph Pedrajas

The local government of Valenzuela City has shut down a convenience store for “not consistently” using the city’s contact tracing application and not observing minimum health standards against the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

(Photo from Mayor Rex Gatchalian)

Ordered closed on Tuesday, October 27 was an Alfamart branch in Barangay Ugong following “numerous complaints,” Mayor Rex Gatchalian said.

“To think grabe na information campaign at warning pa ang ginawa ng cityhall para dito. Likas na matigas talaga ang ulo ng Alfamart (Alfamart is really hard-headed. To think that we have massive information campaign and warning, they are still not compliant),” Gatchalian said in a Facebook post.

“Isa pa hindi ko maintindihan bakit tinitipid nila ang health safety ng kanilang mga clients samantalang ang Alfamart ay bahagi ng pinakamalaking malls at retail company sa Pilipinas (I can’t understand why they do not ensure their clients’ health safety considering that they are part of the biggest malls and retail companies here in the Philippines)” he added.

Gatchalian said city officials do not want to close businesses but they gave them “enough time to observe minimum health standards and implement” the usage of the city’s contact tracing app, ValTrace, before doing so.

“Bukas masusundan pa eto ng ibang Alfamart outlets na nahuli ng city hall audit teams na may paglabag sa mga rules (Tomorrow, more Alfamart outlets will be closed after our audit teams found them violating health safety rules),” the local chief executive added.

Several city hall employees reportedly visited establishments to check on compliance and discovered the lapses.

Gatchalian said the incident should serve as a reminder to other business establishments to consistently follow the guidelines against COVID-19.

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