Greenhills center reopens in June

Greenhills shopping center in San Juan is set to reopen next month with safety protocols in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, the city government announced over the weekend.

Mayor Francis Zamora said the management of the commercial center agreed to implement social distancing and sanitary measures to ensure that shoppers and mall employees are not infected with the virus.

Zamora said only the tiangge or bargain stores at the Greenhills shopping center would reopen.

“The stalls should have safe distance. I will not allow them to reopen without safety measures in place,” he said.

San Juan became the country’s ground zero in the fight against COVID-19 when one of the first local transmissions, a man from Cainta, Rizal, frequented a prayer hall at the mall.

Mall administrators were ordered to place sanitizers and foot baths at all entry points of the shopping center.

Zamora said shoppers without face masks would not be allowed to enter the commercial establishment.

He said other businesses allowed by the national government to reopen may resume operations pending submission of return to work plans and certificates of compliance to the city government.

Tricycle drivers were also allowed to resume operations in San Juan provided they have health clearance and travel pass from the city government.

“Tricycles can transport only one passenger per trip,” Zamora said.

As of May 23, San Juan posted 302 cases of COVID-19 with 138 recoveries and 40 deaths.

Not a single COVID-19 case was recorded in the city in the past two days.