Davao City: Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte on Monday called on business establishments not to ban entry of customers on the basis of their residential addresses especially those coming from areas categorized as very high risk or high risk due to the high number of coronavirus cases.
Mayor Sara’s call came after receiving complaints from netizens experiencing discrimination by establishments that do not allow entry of people from very high risk and high-risk areas based on the Covid-19 Risk Assessment Map.
The mayor reminded owners that the map is only to guide people to avoid these areas and not to exclude people.
“Kanang pag-exclude nato sa mga tao nga nagpuyo sa mga very high-risk ug high-risk nga barangays will not solve the problem na basin ma contaminate or masudlan mo og confirmed Covid-19 nga positive cases kay ang inyohang screening, gidepende ninyo sa address. Dapat ang screening, magdepende sa inyohang health protocol in placed dinha sa sulod (Excluding people living in very high risk and high-risk barangays will not solve the problem of possible contamination of a confirmed Covid-19 positive case because you depended your screening on the address. The screening should depend on the health protocol in place inside the establishment),” Mayor Sara stressed during a live interview over Davao City Disaster Radio on Monday.
The mayor said that it is wrong for establishments to ban entry on the basis of customers’ residential addresses since there are a lot of confirmed Covid-19 cases in other areas that are not classified as high-risk areas.
She reiterated the importance of imposing health measures upon entry such as temperature check, symptom screening, establishing a handwashing facility, providing alcohol and footbath, and practice social distancing while inside the establishment.
“That way, protektado mo – ang inyohang establishment and, of course, inyohang employees (That way, you are protected, your establishment and, of course, your employees),” Mayor Sara said. CIO