The Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) loosened the restrictions for some of the establishments in the National Capital Region (NCR) plus after maintaining its general community quarantine (GCQ) status.
The latest advisory by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) showed that the allowable on-site operational or venue and seating capacity was increased for certain activities. This protocol is will be in place until July 15.
Indoor dine-in services in NCR, Bulacan and Rizal are allowed at 40-percent capacity, while IATF capped the limit in Laguna and Cavite at 20 percent. For outdoor dine-in services 50-percent capacity is allowed in the entire bubble.
Personal care services—including beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops and nail spas—are allowed at 50-percent capacity in NCR, Bulacan and Rizal. Laguna and Cavite are only allowed to operate at 30 percent in the same category.
In NCR, Bulacan and Rizal, meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE events); social events in eligible venue establishments; and indoor tourist attractions, historical sites and museums are permitted to operate under the operational capacity of 40 percent, 10 percent and 40 percent, respectively. All these activities are banned in Laguna and Cavite.
For MICE events, these refer to essential meetings, which are not for recreational or leisure purposes but for business interests. These include workshops, training, seminars, conferences, board meetings and press conferences.
Social events, meanwhile, include wedding ceremonies and receptions, engagement parties, wedding anniversaries, debut and birthday parties, family reunions and bridal or baby showers.
Outdoor tourist attractions are permitted at 50 percent capacity in NCR, Bulacan and Rizal and at 30-percent capacity in Laguna and Cavite.
Gyms and fitness centers; and other indoor non-contact sports courts or venues are given operational capacity of 40 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Both are not allowed in Laguna and Cavite.
Business establishments with Safety Seal Certifications are allowed to operate at an additional 10 percentage points on top of the prescribed on-site operational capacity. Securing a Safety Seal signifies that an establishment follows the health protocols and uses digital contact-tracing application.
Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria A. Concepcion said in a Senate hearing recently that the private sector seeks to finalize within the next month a proposal for Covid-19 guidelines allowing further mobility and business activities.
The proposal is seen to help certain sectors in the services area, Concepcion said, citing restaurants, gyms and retail. Their operations are dependent on the allowed operational capacity set by the government, which affects their businesses, he explained.