Palace: Taho, balut vendors may go back to work amid eased quarantine measures

Street vendors such as that of taho (soy bean) and balut (fertilized chicken or duck egg) may resume work under modified quarantine measures provided that social distancing will still be observed, the Palace said Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement  in an interview  on GMA Network’s Unang Hirit, a day before quarantine measures across the country will be eased mainly to allow industries to resume operations albeit on a reduced workforce and still in strict observance of social distancing.

“Alam ninyo kasi kung pinapayagan na yung paglabas sa bahay para mag-exercise, tumakbo, magbisikleta, so sa tingin ko po pupuwede na basta huwag lang silang magkumpol-kumpol ... iyan po ang iniiwasan natin,” Roque said when asked if street vendors will be allowed. 

COVID-19’s mode of transmission is thru respiratory droplet, making social distancing and prohibition of mass gathering the new normal pending a vaccine against COVID-19.

The Philippines has registered 11,876 COVID-19 cases as of May 14. Of this number, 2,337 recovered while 790 died.

These figures, however, could still increase since there are 7,000 COVID-19 tests which have yet to be processed by laboratories according to testing czar Vince Dizon.

Dizon, however, said that such backlog will be zero in two weeks, with the help of private sector resources.

The government is eyeing to conduct 30,000 COVID-19 tests per day by May 30. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News