The Department of Health announced on Tuesday that the pandemic task force of the country is not suggesting the reintroduction of stringent mask regulations despite the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
Maria Rosario Vergeire, the officer-in-charge at DOH, stated that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases had presented this proposal to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
“Ang Kagawaran ng Kalusugan at ang iba’t ibang miyembro ng IATF ay nakapagpasa na po ng rekomendasyon sa ating Pangulo tungkol sa hindi na kinakailangang pagbalik ng mga restriction katulad ng mandatory masking at pagsuot na lamang nito sa mga at-risk nating mga kababayan and in high-risk situation,” she said in a press briefing.
Over the weekend, Marcos Jr. stated that the government may enforce compulsory mask-wearing again due to the rise in coronavirus infections.
Vergeire clarified that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) had its meeting last week, which covered talks about the country’s pandemic exit strategy.
Since October of last year, wearing masks has been optional in both indoor and outdoor settings, while remaining compulsory in healthcare establishments and public transport.
No need for mandatory masking – IATF
However, with the emergence of highly contagious COVID-19 strains, Vergeire stated that senior citizens, people with underlying medical conditions, immunocompromised individuals, and those who have not yet received the vaccine are “strongly advised” to wear masks.
Over the past week, the Philippines has seen a 42% increase in the daily average of COVID-19 cases. From April 24 to 30, the country registered a total of 4,456 coronavirus infections, equating to an average of 637 daily cases.
DOH said the Philippines could potentially continue to record 600 daily COVID-19 cases until June. The agency cited the recent spike in infections, which can be attributed to higher public mobility and the presence of more contagious virus variants.
As of April 30, the DOH’s COVID-19 Tracker reported that there are 5,875 active cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines.
Since the onset of the pandemic three years ago, the country has documented more than 4,093,000 coronavirus cases, with the death count reaching 66,444.