Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has issued an order limiting the number of goods to be purchased by its residents and banning the sale of alcohol, among other health-related guidelines, following the reimposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting Friday, August 6.
Belmonte, on Wednesday, tasked the city's Business Permits and Licensing Department (BPLD) to implement again its Regulating the Selling of Basic Necessities During Calamities Ordinance, which was passed in June, 2020, to avoid panic buying and hoarding "that may lead to supply problems."
This means that starting Friday, the purchase of sardines will already be limited to five cans per brand, per person, while other canned goods, such as meat loaf and corned beef, is limited to 10 cans per brand, per customer.
Belmonte, however, assured her constituents that the city has enough food supply while the delivery of goods will not be hampered during ECQ.
She also banned the sale of alcohol and ordered the strict implementation of longer curfew hours and the revival of the use of quarantine passes.
Belmonte, in her order, stated that on top of the alcohol ban, the operations of personal care services, such as barber shops, nail spas and parlors, will be prohibited.
The local government will also follow the 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew hours set by the Metro Manila Council.
Meanwhile, only one person per household will be issued a quarantine pass, "preferably to a person who is fully-vaccinated and otherwise does not have a company ID or other APOR (authorized person outside residence) ID," according to Belmonte.
Belmonte allowed the operation of restaurants and other food establishments but may only provide take-out or delivery services at any time even during the curfew hours.
Essential businesses on indoor facilities, such as supermarkets and markets, are permitted to operate but must limit their operating capacity to ensure at least a two-meter distance among customers.
Business establishments allowed to operate should strictly implement the Kyusi Pass digital contact tracing method, Belmonte said.
She added that public transportation will continue to operate but passengers must be one seat apart. For tricycles, they shall have only one passenger each.
Also under Belmonte's latest guidelines, home quarantine shall be prohibited for confirmed COVID-19 cases and symptomatic close-contacts. They must be transferred to the city’s hospitals, HOPE community caring facilities, barangay isolation facilities, and national government-accredited isolation hotels.
All returning overseas workers must also complete the prescribed quarantine period set by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).