Happy hour nixed

• Davao City liquor ban moved up from 1 a.m. to 5 p.m.

THE CITY government has enforced a stricter liquor ban starting today, March 29, to force people into going straight home from work.

In an announcement of the city government on its Facebook post yesterday, the liquor ban will begin from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., which will continue “until the Public Health Emergency is lifted.”

Davao City already has an existing ordinance that prohibits drinking in public places beyond 1 a.m. One of the main objectives of the community quarantine amid the threat of COVID-19

is social distancing. It means people are discouraged from congregating in groups, particularly in enclosed spaces.

As an amendment to the original liquor ban (Ordinance No. 1627) in 1994, the city government issued a new ordinance in 2013 (Ordinance No. 004-13)

A HUGE tarpaulin greets motorists and commuters at the pedestrian overpass along MacArthur Highway in Bangkal, Davao City on Wednesday, reminding the public to wash their hands frequently as a preventative measure against COVID-19. BING GONZALES