DTI wants 20-30% dine-in capacity for vaccinated individuals under Alert Level 4

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is pushing for greater access of services for fully vaccinated individuals under the Alert Level 4 system in the National Capital Region (NCR).

At the Senate committee on finance’s hearing on the DTI’s proposed P23.7-billion budget for 2022, panel chair Senator Sonny Angara recommended to further increase the venue capacity percentage for vaccinated diners.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, in response, said the DTI is pushing to “instead na 10% lang sa indoor for  vaccinated sa [Alert] Level 4… baka pwedeng maakyat sa 20% o 30% (instead of 10% indoor dining capacity for vaccinated individuals, maybe we can increase it to 20% to 30%). ”

On September 17, the government implemented Alert Level 4 in Metro Manila.

Under Alert Level 4, outdoor or al fresco dining services in restaurants and eateries will operate at a maximum of 30% venue or seating capacity regardless of vaccination status.

On the other hand, indoor dining or dine-in services may be allowed at a limited 10% seating capacity but will cater only to individuals fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in addition to a restaurant's allowed outdoor or al fresco capacity.

Lopez said it will be challenging for the restaurant sector to recoup losses with only 10% indoor operating capacity.

Thus, he said, the Trade Department is pushing to increase the indoor dining capacity of food establishments for vaccinated customers since under “Alert Level 3 at pababa allowed na ‘yung 30% capacity kahit hindi vaccinated (Alert Level 3 and below, the venue capacity is 30% regardless of vaccination status).”

In the government’s Alert Level system, if an area shifts to a lower alert level, the mobility restrictions will also relax.

In particular, under Alert Level 3, several establishments apart from restaurants and personal care services will be allowed to operate at 30% venue capacity regardless of customers’ vaccination status.

Establishments allowed to operate under Alert Level 3 include museums, libraries, internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, casinos, cockfighting, lottery, gyms, spas, leisure centers, among others.

Lopez said the agency is also advocating for the pushing back of curfew hours to “as late as possible” to give businesses more time to operate and generate more revenues.

The current curfew hours in Metro Manila is from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.—AOL, GMA News