Flexible operating capacity for restos, personal care service shops pushed

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is pushing to make the allowed customer admittance capacity of dine-in establishments and personal care services (PCS) providers adjustable, in a bid to keep businesses open whatever the COVID-19 alert level is raised in particular areas.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez on Thursday said that, for example, indoor operation of restaurants and PCS—such as barber shops—could be expanded to 20 percent or 30 percent from the 10-percent limit observed under the pilot run of Alert Level 4 in Metro Manila over the past two weeks.

Officials earlier this week hinted that the National Capital Region was more likely to remain under Level 4, after the pilot’s lapse on Sept. 30, rather than shifting to Level 3.Under the new five-level COVID-19 alert scheme, Level 4 refers to areas where infection case counts are high and/or increasing, with total hospital bed use rate and intensive care unit (ICU) use rate at “high.”

Level 3 refers to areas where case counts are high and/or increasing, with occupancy of hospital beds and ICUs “increasing.”

Also, Lopez said outdoor operations for dine-in eating places and PCS establishments could be relaxed to 50 percent customer capacity from 30 percent.

In this proposal, he said outdoor customers would be allowed regardless of whether they have been vaccinated, but indoor customers must be fully vaccinated.

“Since it may be too early to change these percentages, what can be done is to recognize the Safety Seal system also in Alert Level 4, so we can add 10 percentage points [meaning 20 percent from 10 percent capacity],” Lopez said. “The good approach is to have continuity in operations and jobs, regardless of alert levels,” he said.

He meant that businesses would never have to suffer from a complete shutdown if alert levels worsen. The changes would only be in the allowed operating capacity.

When asked about the latest labor force survey, Lopez said results showed that the recovery path was not going to be a smooth one.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, unemployment rate was estimated at 8.1 percent in August, up from 6.9 percent in July.

“There are sectors recovering but some are highly sensitive to the community quarantine classification especially under enhanced community quarantine or modified enhanced community quarantine—or levels 5 or 4—are declared,” Lopez said. “These can lead to job losses as seen in the recent labor force survey.”

“Thus, we propose that we allow the micro, small and medium enterprises to open for continuity from Alert Levels 1-4, and just adjust the operating capacities,” he added.”