By ANALOU DE VERA
The Department of Tourism has postponed the month-long nationwide mall sale scheduled to start today due to the alarming rise in novel coronavirus cases worldwide.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that her department maintains its stance to prioritize the safety of citizens “more than visitor arrivals and revenue.”
“As much as we want to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19, the safety of our citizens remains our priority,” Puyat said.
“The DoT has coordinated with the mall establishments and is thankful for their support on the decision to postpone the nationwide sale to a later date for the safety of their customers,” she added.
Puyat said that mall establishments are free to continue their day-to-day operations, encouraging them to observe precautionary measures as advised by the Department of Health.
“The DoT also recommends that malls follow the precautionary measures set by the Department of Health such as checking the temperatures of mall-goers before allowing them to enter and the provision of more hand sanitizers in their premises,” said the Tourism chief.
“We advise the general public to maintain proper hygiene and follow the guidelines set by the Department of Health to contain the spread of the virus,” she added.
