We are still under general community quarantine for the next two weeks until such time that the Inter-Agency Task Force will recommend otherwise. In Mindanao, only Zamboanga and this city are on GCQ while the rest are under modified GCQ. The next assessment will be done on June 30.
Both cities still record the most number of positive cases in their respective region. Davao City has 362 cases out of 436, while Zamboanga City has 185 cases out of 193 cases in the Zamboanga peninsula.
Be that as it may, we are already seeing the gradual opening of business establishments in the city, Some restaurants have started to accommodate dine in patrons on a limited scale and with proper hygiene protocols, We are tentatively feeling our way back, riding on the optimism that the worst of the pandemic has finally blown over. This doesn’t mean that we rush headlong to the “new normal,” but to cautiously come out and test the waters.
Public transportation will still be at 50% passenger capacity but we now see more PUJs plying the route as people start going back to work. To follow health protocols, some have attached plastic to provide enough distance and prevent passengers from sitting too close, which is rather ingenious. Complemented with wearing masks and great care in handling money, this system might work.
Malls are open but one still has to use an FM pass to enter, This is practiced to avoid the rush of people. After being cooped for more than two months and going out only to buy essentials, having the time to stroll inside the malls could be a breather for most.
While on GCQ, we should not let our guards down. Safety is still the number one priority – ensuring that we are not infected and that we will not transmit the virus to our family and community.
Let’s wait for the next two weeks.
