No swab testing, no privilege to sell their goods.
That’s the order of the Manila City government to the vendors of 17 public markets as it urged them to undergo free mandatory swab testing.
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said some market vendors are not inclined and some have turned down to be given free swab tests by the city government, even when they have to interact with their customers.
Interaction is largely believed to be a “spreader” of infection.
Domagoso recalled that Arranque Market was ordered closed for a week starting on Feb. 27 after 39 out of 127 vendors tested positive for COVID-19.
“Ilan ang nakausap ng 39, paano kung ‘di kami nagpa-test?” he said in a live broadcast on Facebook on Sunday.
The Manila mayor said he tried to discuss the issue of swab testing with market vendors to no avail. Now, he already made it a policy to have them tested.
“‘Di ko kayo makuha ng diplomasya, eh, libre na nga, eh,” he said.
“Ang hindi magpapa-test sa public market, ‘yung pagma-may-ari namin, kakanselahin namin ang pribilehiyo ninyo na makapagtinda sa market because I need to protect your consumers,” he added.
