House OKs on 2nd reading 'better normal' bill

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved on second reading the measure which makes health and safety measures like frequent handwashing and wearing of masks mandatory in the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

In a vote of ayes and nays, the chamber approved House Bill 6864, or the proposed "Better Normal for the Workplace, Communities and Public Spaces Act of 2020," sponsored on floor by Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda.

The measure primarily aims to prepare and educate Filipinos for a life after the COVID-related restrictions have been lifted through new norms of social and physical distancing and other safety measures in government and private establishments and institutions.

Under the measure, protocols that are already being practiced to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing of masks, putting up handwashing or sanitizing stations in public areas, temperature checks, and physical distancing of at least one meter in all public spaces, will be made mandatory.

Regulations to ensure safety and health standards have also been put in place for public gatherings, the management of public transportation, as well as in schools and in workplaces.

Following the approval on second reading, the measure will only need the third and final approval of the House before it could be sent to the Senate for its own deliberations. -MDM, GMA News