Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 13) — The Department of Health (DOH) said it is not yet the right time to make the wearing of face mask in indoor settings optional.
In a Tuesday briefing, DOH officer-in-charge Ma. Rosario Vergeire said this can only be tested once certain conditions are met, like high level of booster administration, stable number of COVID-19 cases, low number of severe and critical infections, and low rates of deaths and healthcare utilization.
“Siguro darating tayo doon sa [Maybe we will reach the] point where we can already recommend this trial, pilot study for specific areas na pwede nating tingnan kung maari na nating tanggalin ang [where we can see if we can already remove] mask indoors, optional, for these areas that we will be identifying,” she explained.
On Monday, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. issued an executive order allowing the voluntary use of face mask when in open spaces.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the chief executive approved the recommendation since the country is only 6% away from the wall of immunity, wherein at least 80% of the eligible population has received their first booster shot.
According to Vergeire, administration of primary COVID-19 doses in the country is currently at 93.2%, which is nearly 6% away from completion. The target to administer booster shots to at least 30% of the eligible population within Marcos’ first 100 days is also 6% away from attaining the target, she added.
For now, the DOH only recommends the optional wearing of face mask when outdoors because evidence proves there is a higher chance of virus transmission when one is not wearing mask in enclosed areas, Vergeire said.
The easing of health protocols should not be also rushed and should be done in phases, the DOH official noted.
Currently, the country has recorded more than 3.9 million COVID-19 cases with over 24,000 being currently ill patients.
As of Sept. 12, over 72.8 million people have completed their primary COVID-19 doses. Over 18.6 million individuals have received their first booster dose, while more than 2.5 million have taken their second booster shot, the DOH said.
