THE QUEZON City government reminded business establishments that stricter measures are being implemented despite the re-implementation of the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the city government said joint inspections are being done to assure that the new guidelines are enforced.
“Factories around Novaliches were visited to make sure that they are following the imposed health and safety protocols in QC for business establishments with a large number of employees,” it said.
The joint inspections were done by the Quezon City Business Permits and Licensing Department (BPLD), the Quezon City Health Department, Public Employment Service Office (PESO), Quezon City Department of Building Official, QC Tourism and Promotions, Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS), the Novaliches District Center, QC Task Force on Solid Waste Management and the Task Force on Traffic and Transport Management.
Mayor Joy Belmonte said the shift of the National Capital Region (NCR) to GCQ "does not mean we are already free from Covid-19."
She said “the threat of being infected with the virus is still there that is why we still need to be very careful”.
The new guidelines issued by the city government on Tuesday states that companies allowed to operate under GCQ are mandated to enforce stricter health protocols to avoid the spread of Covid-19 among its employees.
Under the guidelines, employers are now required to conduct regular health screenings of their employees, and report any suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases to the QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU).
Contact tracing
Contact tracing is also being strengthened by the local government.
“If an employee is showing symptoms of Covid-19 or come in close contact with a Covid-19 positive patient, then they should be immediately brought to the attention of the CESU,” Belmonte said.
Employers who will be found concealing vital information and not reporting suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases may be penalized and charged.
Even close contacts of suspected Covid-19 cases must not be allowed to report for work and immediately undergo quarantine for 14 days.
Persons who have symptoms like fever, cough, body aches or other symptoms of Covid-19 shall not be allowed entry and should be immediately referred for medical attention and should already be considered a suspect case, even without a PCR test or rapid test, the guideline states.
If feasible, RT-PCR or swab test of employees should be covered by employee HMO coverage or from company funds.
A Covid-19 response plan is required for businesses with 10 or more employees.
This should “detail how the business will comply with the minimum health protocols (prevention and control of Covid-19, contact tracing, testing, and return to work). The Response Plan may establish a Covid-19 Infection Control Committee (this can be the same as the Occupational Safety and Health Committee) and assign a Covid-19 Infectious Disease Control Officer who shall receive relevant training”.
On mandatory reporting of symptomatic persons and suspected or confirmed cases, the guideline states that “Section 4(e) of R.A. No. 10173, or the Data Privacy Act, allows disclosure of personal information when such information is ‘necessary in order to carry out the functions of public authority.’ Further, under Section 6(d) of R.A. No. 11332, the City may collect data necessary for disease surveillance, and in this respect is ‘exempted [from] the Data Privacy Act.’
Establishments that conceal information on suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases, or cause delay of the city’s Covid-19 response teams or contact tracers in performing their duties may be sanctioned with suspension or revocation of business permits and the filing and prosecution of criminal charges under applicable laws. (By Marita Moaje_
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