The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said that cinemas should ensure they have good ventilation and air filtration systems before they reopen after almost a year of suspended operation due to the pandemic.
“Kailangan talaga ‘yung massive ‘yung filtering capacity no’ng sinehan para talagang malinis na malinis ‘yung hangin… May mga ibang sakit din na puwedeng maibsan,” he said.
(The massive filtering capacity of the cinema is really needed to really clean the air… There are also other diseases that can be avoided.)
The DOH chief added that moviegoers should not eat or drink inside the cinema to avoid COVID-19 transmission.
“Bawal yan. Kung saka sakaling ganoon ang panuntunan diyan ay bawal talaga kumain. Bawal uminom. Mag-aantay ka lang,” he said.
(That is not allowed. In case that is the rule there, it is strictly forbidden to eat. It is forbidden to drink. You just wait.)
Cinemas need ‘massive filtering capacity’ to reopen – DOH
Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Labor Department consulted experts to ensure that mall operators are prepared for the reopening of cinemas.
“They have consulted with an epidemiologist so that they can provide these ventilation requirements, specifically in enclosed spaces para lang makapag-prevent ng infection,” she said.
Malacañang announced Monday the suspension of cinemas in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) which was supposed to start today.
According to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, the decision was made after mayors of Metro Manila expressed their opposition to the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to allow more industries to reopen.
“Hindi na po iyan mapapatupad ngayong araw at iyan po ay ipapatupad either March 1 or kung kailan po magkakaroon ng guidelines ang ating mga lokal na pamahalaan,” Roque said in an interview with state-run PTV.
The Palace official said the guidelines would address capacity requirements.