DILG: Vax cards no longer required for mall entry in Alert Level 1 areas

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday said COVID-19 vaccination cards are not anymore required when entering malls in areas under Alert Level 1.

DILG spokesperson Jonathan Malaya clarified that vaccination cards are only required in establishments considered as 3Cs -- closed, crowded, close-contact venues -- such as restaurants, spas, and cinemas.

“So that we can sort of sort this confusion out, let us follow the advice of the Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Mon Lopez that the vaccination card is not required at the entrance of the mall. It is only required at the exact 3C establishment inside the mall, but not necessarily at the entrance of the mall,” he said in an interview on ANC.

Malaya said that the DILG will discuss the matter with local government units.

Starting March 1 until March 15, the National Capital Region and 37 other areas have been deescalated to Alert Level 1, the lowest COVID-19 risk classification.

Under Alert Level 1, all establishments, persons, or activities, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards.

On the first day of its implementation in the NCR, many people flocked to malls amid the COVID-19 pandemic. —LBG, GMA News