Marcos says no need yet for mandatory face mask policy

WASHINGTON — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. does not see yet the need to bring back the mandatory wearing of face mask amid the recent rise in COVID-19 cases.

Instead, Marcos said there is a need to encourage anew young people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"But it looks like, we will have to conduct again, especially for young people, we'll have to conduct again a vaccination push," he told reporters here when asked if he thinks the mandatory wearing of face mask should again be enforced.

Marcos, who made face mask use optional in October last year via Executive Order No. 7, said the current hot weather in the Philippines may have made people vulnerable to COVID-19.

The President said he will check with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases(IAT) and the Department of Health for "guidance" regarding mandatory face mask use.

"We'll look at it. Tignan natin kung may guidance ang IATF, may guidance ang DOH. I think --- I hope we don’t have to but we might, but I hope not," he said.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said the DOH is not considering proposing the mandatory wearing of face mask anew amid the increasing number of new COVID-19 infections.

Vergeire noted that the increasing number of new COVID-19 cases in the country is still insignificant as hospital utilization remains manageable. —KBK, GMA Integrated News