Amid the recommendation to make mask wearing optional outdoors, the Department of Health (DOH) bared that its position is to retain the mandatory use of face masks.

DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that this was their stance during the recent meeting of the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

“The position of the DOH is for us to continue on masking,” said Vergeire in a statement on Thursday, Sept. 8.

However, “there were several data that were presented also” during the IATF meeting “that led to this decision” of recommending the optional wearing of face masks outdoors to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., said Vergeire.

“We needed to balance between the health and economy, and what we have compromised would be, this will be done among low risk individuals and in low risk settings,” she said.

“This means that optional masking will only be done outdoors, in settings where it is not crowded, in settings where there is good ventilation, and this will be done among low risk individuals — meaning not the senior citizens, not those with comorbidities, not the children, and definitely not those having symptoms with Covid-19,” she added.

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, Vergeire announced that the IATF-EID has recommended the voluntary wearing of face masks outdoors across the country. She noted that this is not yet a policy as Marcos needs to issue first an executive order.

In a television interview on Thursday, Vergeire said they are set to meet Marcos to discuss this IATF-EID recommendation.

“We did not mention any specific timeline. It would really depend on the issuance of the President,” said Vergeire.

“If he approves already, after providing his guidance, once the policy is issued, then it will be implemented already,” she added.

Health experts reaction

The government should properly communicate to the public this change in protocols, said Infectious DIsease Expert Dr. Rontgene Solante of San Lazaro Hospital.

“It is important how we communicate this to the public and the specifics. We shouldn’t forget also that we must still focus on increasing boosted population, particularly the vulnerable population,” said Solante in a television interview on Thursday.

“Cases are going down now but other countries are still reporting substantial number of deaths. When you look at the data on deaths these are the vulnerable population. If you look at this, this will be good for people without comorbidities and are healthy. But if you are high risk population, then you should wear a mask,” he added.

Former Covid-19 task force adviser Dr. Tony Leachon also questioned the position of the DOH regarding the matter.

“OIC Vergeire was against the Cebu City lifting of face mask mandate outdoors but yielded to the IATF despite 11.6 percent positivity rate, low booster rate, & BBM/DOH plan to extend state of calamity till Dec 2022? Who’s the lead agency deciding for public safety?,” Leachon posted on his official Twitter page.

He also noted that “making the recommendation and saying it is not yet a policy will confuse the public.”