By John Clifford Lintao
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is seriously considering the idea of requiring business owners to set up their own isolation rooms in workplaces.
DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said that the implementation of new and stricter health protocols for businesses allowed to operate amid the community quarantine is in an apparent government response to the growing clamor for measures seen to protect the workers risking the possibility of being infected as COVID-19 continues its onslaught in the country.
Interviewed on television, Lopez said that one of the new measures include requiring business establishments to have their own isolation rooms. “Magre-release po tayo ng panibagong health protocol na magde-detalye nito, siguro by tomorrow. Iki-clear na lang natin sa IATF mamaya,” he said, referring to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, the government’s policy-making body in addressing the COVID-19 problem.
“Ito mga example nito ‘yung mga pagtalaga ng isolation rooms sa mga bawat offices,” Lopez added.
Lopez said businesses can also make arrangements with nearby establishments for their isolation facilities in case a worker tested positive for COVID-19.
“Kung may magpositibo sa kanilang hanay na mga workers ay merong paglalagyan na mga isolation rooms,” he said.
Interestingly, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), can coordinate with barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTs), Lopez added.
The new health protocol also includes designation of health officers in offices and their training for safety measures in light of the COVID-19 threat, he added.