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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Making mask wearing optional indoors not yet recommended—DOH

Making mask wearing optional indoors not yet recommended—DOH

Published Sep 13, 2022 05:17 pm

The optional wearing of face masks in indoor spaces or areas is still not recommended at this point in time, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

The easing of restrictions related to Covid-19 pandemic should be done gradually, said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire.

“Hindi natin kailangan magmadali sa mga ganitong pamantayan (We don't need to rush such measures),” said Vergeire during a press briefing.

“Iyan po ay hindi pa mabibigyan ng rekomendasyon ng Department of Health sa ngayon (The Department of Health has no recommendation for that yet),” she added.

Vergeire reminded the public that the wearing of face masks alongside other health protocols “have saved us from a lot of deaths in the country, and also have saved us from having our healthcare system to become overwhelmed.”

“Hindi pa ho napapanahon na sa indoor areas or indoor spaces kung saan lahat po ng ebidensya pinapakita na mas mataas ang probability ng pag transmit ng infection kapag tayo ay nasa enclosed at indoor spaces (It is not yet time to implement that for indoor areas or indoor spaces where all the evidence shows that the probability of transmitting infection is higher when we are in enclosed and indoor spaces),” she said.

“So we do this in phases. Sana magtulungan tayo. I agree with the statement that ito po ay responsibilidad po natin lahat but government has to guide kung kailan magkakaroon tayo ng ganitong mandato (I hope we can all work together. I agree with the statement that this is all our responsibility but the government has to guide when we will have this mandate)...Government still has that mandate over the health of each and every Filipino,” she added.

On Monday, Sept. 12, the Malacanang announced that the wearing of face masks when outdoors is now optional nationwide after it was recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

Comeback of outdoor mask wearing

Vergeire said that there is also a possibility that the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors may be reimposed if the situation calls for it.

This is especially if the healthcare utilization of a specific area reaches about 50 to 70 percent, she said.

“Hindi na natin kailangan ng panibagong (We don't need new) measures or triggers for us to be able to mandate or order or revise our policies for us to impose again yung mandate natin sa (our mandate on) outdoor masking because we already have our alert levels,” she said.

“We already have our alert levels. So, pagka dumating tayo sa point na tumataas na yung pinag-iingatan natin na indicators (when we come to the point where the indicators we are keeping are increasing) which are admission in hospitals, severe and critical, and deaths, rightfully the policy will be revised and will be discussed within the IATF and also recommend it to the President,” she added.

Related Tags

covid-19 Department of Health (DOH) Maria Rosario Vergeire
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