Age, travel restrictions eased to speed up economic revival

THE government has eased age and travel restrictions imposed to prevent coronavirus transmission in the country as it moves to reopen the economy.

According to Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr., the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved during its meeting on Thursday the recommendation of the economic cluster to expand the age group of people who can leave their houses.

Under an IATF-EID resolution issued, those aged 15 to 65 years old are now allowed to go out.

Local government units (LGUs) can impose a higher age limit for minors, depending on the Covid-19 situation in their area, according to Roque.

Under the previous policy of the IATFEID, people aged below 21 and above 60 were barred from going out of their residences, unless it was work-related or for accessing necessities.

The task force also relaxed travel restrictions by allowing people, including those not listed as authorized persons outside of their residences (APOR), to travel between areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified general community

quarantine (MGCQ).

“The interzonal movement of persons not authorized outside of residences between areas placed under GCQ and MGCQ for any purpose shall be permitted subject to the reasonable regulations imposed by the LGU concerned,” the resolution read.

LGUs can also exempt workers, APORs and necessary establishments from curfews.

The task force also lifted the restriction on nonessential outbound travel of Filipinos starting October 21.

Roque said Filipinos can leave the country as long as they submit confirmed roundtrip tickets and

adequate travel and health insurance for those traveling with tourist visas.

They must also sign an immigration declaration acknowledging the risks involved in traveling and a negative antigen test result taken within 24 hours before departure.

The relaxed restrictions are among the measures the Cabinet approved last Monday to revive the economy. It also eased the one-seat distance policy in public transport to increase ridership, among others.

Non-leisure businesses inside malls and commercial centers are also now allowed to operate fully.

Also green- lighted are nonleisure wholesale and retail establishments such as:

– Hardware stores

– Clothing and accessories – Bookstores and school and office supplies stores

– Baby or infant care supplies stores – Pet shops, pet food and pet

care supplies

– Information technology, communications and electronic equipment

– Flower, jewelry, novelty, antique, perfume shops; toy stores (playgrounds and amusement area will remain closed)

– Music stores; art galleries (selling only)

– Firearms and ammunition trading stores.

In early October, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also green-lighted a number of businesses in areas under GCQ to operate at full capacity, including domestic mining and quarrying; management consultancy activities; publishing and printing services; film, music and TV production; recruitment and placement agencies for overseas employment; and the retail trade of motor vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles.