SWS: ‘Large majorities’ of Filipinos practice prevention measures vs COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — “Large majorities” of Filipinos continue to practice health measures to prevent contracting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), although the number of people who said they observe physical distancing has declined, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The survey released on Friday showed that 76 percent of adult Filipinos said they always use face masks when going out of their houses in the past month, while 17 percent said they do it most of the time, 4 percent wear it sometimes, and 2 percent said they rarely or never wore a face mask.

SWS noted that the figures hardly changed from the 77 percent who said in May that they always use face masks since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.

Meanwhile, 65 percent said they always wash their hands several times a day, 30 percent most of the time, 4 percent sometimes, and 1 percent rarely or never. Earlier in May, 68 percent said they always wash their hands several times a day.

The survey also found that 59 percent said they always keep physical distance or a safe distance of 1 meter from other people when they go out of their homes. Twenty-two percent said they do it most of the time, 11 percent said sometimes, and 7 percent rarely or never. The SWS noted that the percentage of respondents who said they always observe physical distance has declined from 64 percent in May.

According to SWS, the proportion of respondents who said they always use face masks is highest in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, at 90 percent. This was followed by Visayas at 82 percent, and Balance Luzon and Mindanao at 72 percent each.

“Compared to May 2020, those who always use a face mask rose by 12 points from 78% in Metro Manila,” said the poll body.

The number of respondents who always wash their hands is also highest in Metro Manila at 73 percent, an increase from 68 percent in May. This was followed by the Visayas at 69 percent, Mindanao at 67 percent, and Balance Luzon at 59 percent.

Those who always keep physical distance are likewise highest in Metro Manila at 68 percent, followed by the Visayas at 64 percent, Mindanao at 57 percent, and Balance Luzon at 56 percent.

The SWS July 3-6, 2020 National Mobile Phone Survey was conducted shortly after the community quarantine was relaxed in most parts of the country on July 1.

The survey was probability-based and was conducted using mobile phones and computer-assisted telephone interviewing on 1,555 adult Filipinos nationwide or those aged 18 years old and above.

According to SWS, the respondents comprise 306 in Metro Manila, 451 in Balance Luzon, 388 in Visayas, and 410 in Mindanao.

The poll had sampling error margins of ±2 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent for Metro Manila, ±5 percent for Balance Luzon, ±5 percent for Visayas, and ±5 percent for Mindanao).

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