Members of the Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) apprehended Thursday morning, June 16, persons who were not wearing face masks in the city’s public markets.
The city government said that the operation was done since Quezon City’s local Covid-19 early warning system was raised to “yellow” status after an increase in the city’s daily cases.
Retired Gen. Elmo San Diego, DPOS head, told Manila Bulletin that they visited the public markets -- Q-Mart, Murphy Market, Kamuning Market, Farmer’s Market, and Arayat Market -- where they ticketed around 150 vendors and market-goers who violated the health and safety protocol.
San Diego said that most of the apprehensions were due to improper wearing of face masks.
He added that first-time violators will be fined P300, while those caught without face masks for the second time will be fined P500.
Third-time violators will be fined P1,000 and appropriate charges will be filed against them.
Violators were given face masks during the operation conducted by more than 100 DPOS personnel.
According to the DPOS head, they have already apprehended around 70,000 individuals who violated the health protocol since January 2022. He said the operations will continue in areas where people converge.
San Diego explained that the operation is to remind the “QCitizens” that the threat of the Covid-19 is real.