COVID-19 cases must stabilize first before face mask policy can be lifted — DOH

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines must stabilize first before the national government can lift the mandatory face mask policy, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday.

"Kailangan po nakita natin stable na po 'yung mga kaso dito sa ating bansa [We must see first that the number of cases has stabilized]. When we say stable, nakikita natin acceptable na po 'yung mga bilang ng mga kaso sa atin," DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a radio interview.

Vergeire said COVID-19 is not yet in its endemic stage in the country.

"When we talk about endemic stage, ang ibig sabihin niyan ang mga kaso ay stable na at pangalawa mataas ang immunity ng population," she said.

(When we say endemic stage, this means that the cases are stable and the immunity of the population is high.)

She said that while COVID-19 cases in the country are stabilizing and severe and critical cases remain low, the government has yet to reach its vaccination target.

"And there is evidence na nagpapakita na mukhang bumababa na 'yung immunity ng ating populasyon. So kailangan 'yung safeguards natin, nandyan pa rin hanggang makita natin na mataas na 'yung immunity ng population," Vergeire said.

(And there is evidence that shows that our population immunity is decreasing. So our safeguards must remain in place until we see that our immunity remains high.)

On Wednesday, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama signed an executive order making face mask use non-obligatory in outdoor and open spaces in the city.

Vergeire said making the wearing of face masks "non-obligatory" has big implications.

"Kung ang local government po ang magpapatupad at magsasabi volumtary na lang, baka po talagang very risky because other constituents might follow at magkaroon ng mas mataas na risk of infection diyan sa kanilang lugar," she said.

Vergeire said that while the local government units (LGUs) have autonomy, they must also follow the mandate of the national government. She said LGUs must coordinate "at the least."

Vergeire said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the government's policy-making body in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to convene next week.

Intensify face mask use

Meanwhile, during the day's televised Public Briefing, Philippine Federation of Professional Associations Vice President Dr. Benito Atienza said the government must intensify or maintain the face mask policy as the country is still in a state of national emergency.

He echoed the DOH's previous statement that face masks can prevent other illnesses such as flu and pneumonia.

“Ang sinasabi po natin dapat ngayon nating pagibayuin kasi [ang paggamit ng face mask]… ang daming bata ngayon ang may pneumonia kasi nagpasukan tapos ang mga bata ngayon apektado ng COVID,” Atienza said.

(What we’re saying is that we need to intensify face mask use because many children now have pneumonia and many are affected by COVID-19.)

“Maraming nagko-COVID sa kanila. Kung minsan ay walang symptoms, kung minsan ay simpleng diarrhea lang, at nakikita din namin ito sa mga clinic at sa mga ospital,” he added.

(Many of them tested positive for COVID. Sometimes they are asymptomatic, and sometimes they simply have diarrhea. We see this in our clinics and hospitals.)

When sought for comment, Vergeire said this is why they want the mandatory use of face masks to remain.

At a DOH media briefing, she said that only 40% of children aged 5 to 11 are vaccinated against COVID-19.

“If you remove your mask mandate, you are making the children more vulnerable to this infection,” she said.

Vergeire warned that it would be "disastrous" if other LGUs no longer required people to wear masks in outdoor areas.

“That is one of our worries dahil alam natin kapag nagtuloy tuloy ang ganito pong mga actions ng ating local government, other LGU may follow soon and that would be really disastrous for all of us. Katulad nga ng sinabi ko kailangan one nation approach tayo, kailangan nagkakaisa tayo from the local governments up to national level,” she said.

(That is one of our worries because we know that if these actions by our local government continue, other LGUs may follow soon, and that would be really disastrous for all of us. Just like I said, we need a one-nation approach. We need to unite from the local governments up to the national level.)

She said there would be a high risk of transmitting the virus if there were different protocols in different areas.

“Just imagine if one or two or three LGUs are implementing different protocols. What will happen to us when the virus crosses borders?" Vergeire said.

“So, you go to one place [that] does not implement this mask mandate and then you go to your home area kung saan nandoon ang nanay mo na matanda at nandoon ang mga anak mo na mga bata so the risk would be higher for you to transmit infections to the members of your family,” she added.

(So, you go to one place that does not implement this mask mandate, and then you go to your home area where your elderly mother and children reside, so the risk would be higher for you to transmit infections to the other members of your family.)  —with Richa Noriega/KBK/VBL, GMA News