Roque: Staycation in hotels under MGCQ areas allowed to operate at full capacity amid COVID-19 pandemic

Hotels in modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) areas are now allowed to operate at 100 percent capacity for leisure purposes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Palace said Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this covers hotels and other accommodation establishment accredited by the Department of Tourism with certificate of authority to operate for staycation.

Likewise, Roque said these hotels under MGCQ areas, under Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution 117 adopted this week, can also forego requiring RT-PCR test for their guests who are 18 to 59 years of age.

Hotels and accommodations under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) areas accredited by the DOT for staycation, for its part, are allowed to operate at a maximum of 30% capacity subject to DOT guidelines provided that each group of guest will come from the same household.

In addition, the IATF has also allowed off-track betting stations of the Philippine Racing Commission resume operations but only limited to selling tickets in GCQ and MGCQ areas.

The opening of these hotels and accommodations, as well as off-track betting stations, are all preconditioned on their compliance with minimum public health standards such as frequent washing of hands, wearing of face mask and face shield and maintaining social distancing.

MGCQ allows greater percentage of tourism industries to operate compared with the GCQ protocol wherein only outdoor tourism activities are permitted. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News