MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte reminded the public anew on the proper wearing of masks as protection against the coronavirus, saying that some wear masks that do not cover the entire nose.
“Ang mask makakatulong yan, it does not actually provide 100 percent, hindi kami nagsasabi na mag-mask ka, hindi ka tatamaan. Pero you’ll reduce it…basta worn properly,” Duterte said in a pre-recorded speech.
(Wearing a mask helps. It does not provide 100 percent protection. We won’t tell you that you won’t get infected if you wear one but you’ll reduce it as long as it is worn properly.)
“Kasi yung iba nagmamask tapos nakikita ko yung ilong ninyo sumasabit just sa edge of the mask, it does not really give a relief at all kung ganoon ka-careless ang tao na gumagamit,” he added.
(Others wear the mask but their nose is showing, it’s hanging on the edge of the mask. It does not really give relief at all if the person using it is careless.)
Duterte issued the reminder as the Philippines recorded 1,581 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, bringing the country’s total caseload to more than 514,000.
“I hope it would not reach millions. We would be in serious trouble. We would be no better than other countries whose rise is really exponential. Problem is how you obey the protocols,” said the President.
A recent Pulse Asia survey showed that the majority of Filipinos wear face masks to avoid contracting Covid-19.
In Metro Manila, a separate survey done by the OCTA Research group showed that nine out of 10 residents wear face masks to protect themselves from the respiratory disease.