Mandatory face mask use back in Iloilo, Bacolod cities

Iloilo and Bacolod cities have once again implemented the mandatory wearing of face mask in several areas amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Unang Balita reported on Friday.

In Iloilo City, face mask use is mandatory inside establishments and public utility vehicles (PUVs), while in Bacolod City it is implemented only inside PUVs.

The mandatory face mask use was ordered by the two cities' respective local governments.

The national government, meanwhile, is not keen on coming up with the same order, but the Department of Health (DOH) is urging the public to assess for themselves when and where they should put their face mask on.

The mandatory use of face mask, however, is still strictly enforced in all trains of the Light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro Rail Transit (MRT), and Philippine National Railways (PNR), according to the Department of Transportation.

Latest data from independent monitoring group OCTA Research showed that the seven-day positivity rate in Metro Manila rose to 12.9% from last week’s 11.7%.

Positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

The DOH earlier this week announced the detection of the first case of Arcturus — a variant under monitoring by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) — in the country.

The case was from Iloilo province and was asymptomatic, and has already recovered, according to the DOH. —KBK, GMA Integrated News