CEBU CITY – At least three salons and barbershops in Tagbilaran City in Bohol have adopted alternative modes of payment for the services they rendered to customers, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Central Visayas on Monday said.
In a statement, the DTI-7 said its Bohol Provincial Office conducted an on-site monitoring on the compliance of 25 salons and barbershops in Tagbilaran City to check if they are following the health and safety standards in preventing transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“Of the establishments we visited, 19 were already open and have met the required minimum health protocols as set by the department,” said DTI-Bohol provincial director Maria Soledad Balistoy.
Balistoy said the DTI monitoring team noticed that three barbershops and salons are no longer accepting cash payments from customers, while four are also selling face masks.
The employees wear protective gear and the shops have foot baths with disinfectants and alcohol. They get customers’ temperature through thermal scanners at the entrance.
Owners also posted advisories on health protocols at the entrance of each establishment reminding clients about the minimum health standards of the Department of Health, such as mandatory wearing of face mask, physical distancing, no wearing of jewelry, and other safety protocols.
The DTI team also observed that employees sanitized their tools and sterilized their workstations after every client.
Balistoy underscored the importance of compliance to health guidelines to prevent the possible spread of the virus.
“Considering the difficulty to impose physical distancing and in order to limit contact with clients, establishments are mandated to offer only basic haircutting service,” she said.
Balistoy further said those in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) are allowed by the authorities to operate only 30 percent of their operational capacity to ensure physical distancing is followed.
She assured that operational capacity will increase to 50 percent as soon as Tagbilaran is placed under modified GCQ. (PNA)