ONE-METRE GAP ON PHILIPPINE PUBLIC TRANSPORT STAYS
Duterte takes a stand following public uproar over Transport Dept’s plan to reduce it to 0.75m
THE 1m rule on public transport stays, Malacañang Palace said, ending queries on how far the government would go in reopening the economy amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The president (Rodrigo Duterte) decided that the 1m physical distancing in public transport stands,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, according to the Philstar.com portal.
The government took the stand following criticisms over an announcement by Department of Transportation secretary Arthur Tugade that passengers in public utility vehicles would be reduced to 0.75m.
This, however, sparked criticism and concerns that the risk of Covid-19 spreading further could worsen if such physical distancing rules were eased, especially in public transportation.
The department, in a statement, said it would abide by the directive.
“The president has spoken. We shall aggressively comply and strictly enforce the one-metre physical distancing in all public transport as envisioned and mandated.”
Roque said commuters, too, must adhere to health protocols such as wearing face masks or face shields, and avoid not talking or eating inside the public transport.
Duterte kept the 1m rule after weighing recommendations from his cabinet members and the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The public transport in the city here is known for its huge crowds and long queues.
Reducing the distancing requirement is regarded by health experts and those in authority as premature and dangerous, apart from prolonging the crisis, which has hovered in the Philippines just like in many parts worldwide since March.
Up to Saturday, the Philippines has nearly 280,000 infections, with more than a third reported in the past 30 days. There were 4,830 deaths, the second highest in Southeast Asia, next only to Indonesia.