Liquor ban reimposed in Davao City, to last until Dec. 31, 2020

The 24-hour liquor ban has been reimposed in Davao City and will last until the end of the year amid the lingering COVID-19 threat.

Under Executive Order (EO) No. 59 signed by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the reimposition of the liquor ban will start on 5 a.m. of November 2 and will last until December 31, 2020.

The EO bans the sale, serving, and consumption of liquor in public.

The move, Mayor Duterte said, was prompted by the results of City Health Office contact-tracing efforts on patients positive of COVID-19, which showed that their exposure to the virus took place during drinking sessions.

It also noted that the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) and Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs) in the city are almost reaching their full occupancy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is an urgent need to reimpose a 24-hour liquor ban in Davao City to prevent the exposure of individuals to the COVID-19 virus because of their unbridled drinking sessions,” Mayor Duterte's EO read.

In addition, the Davao City government will impose the one-strike rule on establishments found violating the liquor ban, while the Vices Regulation Unit (VRU) and Barangay Council are tasked to conduct vigorous surveillance of all restaurants, fast-food, sari-sari stores, and similar establishments to ensure compliance.

Establishments that will violate the EO will face closure.

Mayor Duterte, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, lifted the 24-hour liquor ban last September 21 after six months of restrictive community quarantine. —KBK, GMA News