Posted 07/09/2020 ?The Clark Freeport has been granted advanced approval to transition into phase 1 of opening. The President has maintained General Community Quarantine (GCQ) measures to remain in effect for Manila and the myriad of businesses and casinos in that region but the Pampanga region is under Modified GCQ measures allowing it to open ahead of its more populated counterpart. The National Capital Region of Manila will have to wait until July 15th for operations to resume to some degree of normalcy.
Regarding casinos in Clark Pampanga, they are at a two-week advantage to those in Manila?s Entertainment City. These include Widus Hotel and Casino, D?Heights Casino, Royce Hotel and Casino and Fortunegate Casino. While the Clark casinos, leisure and hospitality venues are getting a jump start to the economy, there are conditions to go along with their new-found freedoms of operation as these openings are subject to the restrictions for casino operations by the Modified GCQ limitations.
If the Manila public maintains its compliance and the contagion numbers for positive tests, hospitalizations and deaths continue on a downward trajectory, then the government plans to loosen the GCQ rules for Manila down to MGCQ sooner than later as detailed by the President.
The President mentioned recently that Cebu is the new hotspot for CODIVD-19 cases. He said the reason was that many of the people there were not following the contagion prevention guidelines to mitigate the disease.
It is important to develop and attitude that these contagion procedures and precautions will be the ?new normal? for us for a long time. At least until there is an effective and long-lasting vaccine to protect the populous. Whether its GCQ or MGCQ implementation, the important thing has always been, and will continue to be, unfaltering cooperation of the public in following the well-established preventative measures. These include avoiding crowds, minimizing socializing, maintaining social distancing, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, washing hands often, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and making sure individuals who are feeling sick stay at home and not report to work or interact with individuals from other households. The days of showing up at work or visiting grandmother with a cough or fever are gone for the foreseeable future.
We are all watching the news, hoping, and praying for a vaccine, treatment, and end to this pandemic, but until them, it is incumbent on all of us to do our part. We all want to get back to normal, but the thing we often forget is the more we follow these well-founded scientific precautions, the sooner we can get back to a functioning society.