Nationwide mall sale, kinansela ng DOT

Ipinahayag kahapon ng Department of Tourism (DOT) ang pagpapaliban sa isang buwang nationwide mall sale na nakatakda sanang magsimula ngayong araw, Marso 1.

“Given the alarming rise in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections all over the world during the past few days, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has postponed the nationwide mall sale portion of the 2020 Philippine Shopping Festival until further notice,” saad sa pahayag ng DOT, kahapon.

Sinabi ni Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat na pinaninidigan ng kanyang departamento na unahin ang kaligtasan ng mga mamamayan “more than visitor arrivals and revenue.”

“As much as we want to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID19, the safety of our citizens remains our priority,” sinabi ni Puyat sa isang pahayag.

“The DOT has coordinated with the mall establishments and is thankful for their support on the decision to postpone the nationwide sale to a later date for the safety of their customers,” dagdag niya.

Sinabi ni Puyat na malaya ang mall establishments na magpatuloy sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na mga operasyon, hinihikayat sila na obserbahan ang mga hakbang sa pag-iingat na ipinayo ng Department of Health (DOH) “such as checking the temperatures of mall-goers before allowing them to enter and the provision of more hand sanitizers in their premises.”

“We advise the general public to maintain proper hygiene and follow the guidelines set by the Department of Health to contain the spread of the virus,” aniya pa.

Sa press briefing nitong nakaraang linggo, muling binanggit ni Health Secretary Francisco Duque III ang naunang advisory ng DOH, na pinaiiwas muna ang publiko sa matataong lugar dahil sa mga banta ng COVID-19.