The local government here has ordered the immediate lifting of the restrictions on the sale and public consumption of liquor for fully vaccinated customers to help more business establishments to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas on Thursday signed Executive Order (EO) 137-A allowing restaurants and other establishments which offer liquor, or any alcoholic beverages to serve the fully vaccinated patrons.
“For this purpose, restaurants and other permitted establishments must require presentation of vaccination cards and proof of identification from their customers before serving,” the mayor said in his EO.
The sale and consumption will be allowed any time of the day. However, establishments have to observe the 50 percent indoor capacity and 70 percent outdoor customer capacity.
To ensure the compliance of establishments to the order, the city government will be deploying compliance officers and authorized personnel to conduct random inspections.
“As the father of the city, I also plea that despite opening more opportunities for leisure and entertainment, let us continue to be vigilant and follow the safety protocols to ensure that we avoid the surge of cases,” he posted on his official Facebook page.
Iloilo City is currently under Alert Level 2 classification until the end of this month, which provides more establishments to operate while restrictions have been eased for travelers.
The mayor on Nov. 16 issued EO 137 that allowed fully-vaccinated individuals to travel to the city just by showing their vaccination card or certification in place of the negative revere transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.
Fully vaccinated returning overseas Filipino workers (ROFs), authorized persons outside residence (APORs), returning city residents, also need not undergo quarantine upon arrival.
They are, however, required to secure a travel pass-through permit via the Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-PaSS) System.
Minors who are not fully vaccinated, however, have to undergo quarantine and submit to RT-PCR at the testing center of their choice on the third day from arrival.
Under the present alert level, public utility vehicles are allowed 70 percent capacity.
Mass gatherings to include religious services, weddings, baptisms, funerals or burials, and other social events are allowed a maximum of 50 percent capacity.
Further, a 50 percent indoor capacity is already allowed for fully vaccinated individuals and 70 percent for outdoor capacity for the holding of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibits (MICE); visits or tourist attractions; amusement and theme parks; recreational venues; movie houses; limited face-to-face for higher education and technical vocational schools; licensure or qualifying exams; barbershops, spas, and those offering cosmetic services; fitness studios, gyms, and venues for non-contact exercise; film, music and television production; and contact sports.
Source: Philippines News Agency