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To wear or not to wear a face mask: Mall says it's for safety vs. COVID-19

By LLANESCA T. PANTI, GMA News

SAN JOSE DEL MONTE, Bulacan - Requiring grocery shoppers to wear face masks is for the safety of shoppers and employees of the grocery amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a mall company said Tuesday. 

SM San Jose del Monte issued a statement a day after Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said shoppers in groceries need not be required to wear a face mask because the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease only requires strict observance of social distancing. 

 

 

“As we protect our shoppers, we would also want to protect our employees,” the mall management said in a statement sent to GMA News Online. 

“And while the other workers are working at home safely, we also want them to be safe and don't put their health at risk while serving the community,” the mall management added.

 

 

In addition, the mall management said requiring shoppers to wear face mask is in accordance with the executive order issued by San Jose del Monte City Mayor Arthur Robes implementing the guidelines of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to prevent transmission of COVID-19.

Section 7 of the said Executive Order provides for preventive measures which includes: wearing of masks inside enclosed spaces, temperature check/thermal scanning for persons coming in establishments and frequent hand washing, among others.

SM San Jose del Monte’s supermarket is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Sunday, for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine which is expected to end on April 12. Watsons, which is located inside the mall, will also cater to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. 

Delays 

Shoppers line up coming from the parking lot and at mall entrances prior to the 9 a.m. opening in strict observance of social distancing. Guards are also all over the place to ensure social distancing. 

 

 

Such social distancing, however, has a cost: delay. This writer accompanied one of the shoppers, and it took the said shopper one hour and 30 minutes before she was able to enter the supermarket since only 10 people at a time are being allowed to enter the supermarket.

 

 

Seats allotted for shoppers waiting entry are also disinfected by members of the mall’s sanitation team every time the chairs are vacated by those already allowed entry to the supermarket.

SM Supermarket also observes anti-hoarding measures which it said is in compliance with the guidelines of the Department of Trade and Industry. 

Shoppers can only buy a maximum of five cans of local canned sardines per type, per brand in regular size and a maximum of big-sized three cans of local canned sardines per type, per brand. 

Each customer is also limited to buying a maximum of two bundles of instant coffee in sachets per brand.

As for bottled drinking water, each customer is limited to buying the following: 

  • maximum of 10 bottles of any brand in small size
  • maximum of eight bottles of any brand in medium size 
  • maximum of five bottles of any brand  in big size and 
  • maximum of two bottles of any brand in extra large size. 

 

There are also a number of certain essentials which are out of stock as of March 24 namely: rubbing alcohol, Skyflakes and Rebisco plain biscuits. 

The Philippines has already recorded 501 cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, March 24, as more tests are being done. Of the said number, 33 have died while 19 others have recovered. 

READ: COVID-19 Dashboad: Summary of Cases in the Philippines

—KG, GMA News

Tags: covid-19, sanjosedelmontebulacan, facemasks, extendedcommunityquarantine
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