Postpone activities

• City Hall guidelines affect several events

WITH THE national government’s Code Red alert over coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the City Hall has imposed guidelines on local activities for the first half of 2020.

In a statement issued by the City Information’s Office, the following activities and schedules are affected by the said guidelines:

* All Araw ng Barangay celebrations and caravan of government services shall be postponed until July 1, 2020. However, the delivery of basic government services in the appropriate government building and offices will not be disrupted.

* Schools are encouraged to accelerate their school calendar and postpone graduation activities to June 2020 depending on the official advisory of the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education.

* Private Organizations, business establishments, and other offices are strongly encouraged to postpone nonessential mass gatherings until June 2020.

* Places of worship should come out with their guidelines in the conduct of activities for the observance of the lent and ramadan. All rituals and ceremonies pertaining to these religious activities that can be dispensed with are highly encouraged. Proper food handling during iftar should be observed.

* Establishments where people frequently gather are required to have their daily disinfection protocols for frequently touched surfaces. Hand sanitizers and alcohols should also be made available for the public before entering and leaving the premises.

The City Hall also released its new guidelines for public offices starting with the cancellation of the flag-raising ceremony to avoid gatherings.

In place of it, City Hall employees would be cleaning and disinfecting their personal spaces and offices, as well as areas commonly used by the public.

Heads of offices are also mandated to create a regular disinfection schedule for frequently touched surfaces inside their offices.

The new guideline also ban employees from receiving personal visitors. Only those who have transactions with the government are allowed in the offices.

Aside from that, sharing of food and eating utensils with others during meals in their offices is also barred. Everyone is required to bring their own re-usable dining wares.

Employees who have shortness of breath, fever, cough, cold and flu-like symptoms shall stay home and have themselves checked by a doctor. They should bring a doctor’s clearance when reporting back to work.

On top of all those, everyone is encouraged to review and abide by the Department of Health advisory pertinent to their organization.

Last month, Mayor Sara Duterte postponed the major activities of the annual Araw ng Davao.