In this August 20, 2020, photo, passengers wear face shields and face masks along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, as the Department of Transportation issued a memorandum directing all public transport passengers to wear face shields and face masks. This covers public transport passengers in the sectors of aviation, maritime, road, and railways, in a bid to ensure protection against the spread of the COVID-19. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) said Friday it is studying recommendations to allow individuals who have already completed their COVID-19 shots to not wear masks “in specific bubbles.”
DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire made the remark amid calls for the government to prepare for the gradual relaxation of public health protocols as more people are getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Ang ginagawa natin, tayo po ay nag-aaral na nitong sinasabing rekomendasyon na ito para makita natin if we can also apply this in specific bubbles,” Vergeire said in a press briefing.
(What we are doing is we are studying this recommendation so we can see if we can also apply this in specific bubbles.)
“Pag-aaralan ito ng ating mga eksperto together with the IATF at magbibigay tayo ng impormasyon,” she added.
(Our experts will study this together with the IATF and we will give the public information.)
Fr. Nicanor Austriaco O.P., who is also a professor of biology at the Providence College in the United States, earlier noted that in the United States, requirements for wearing masks have been relaxed even if herd immunity has yet to be attained.
“I think the government should be ready to gradually relax the minimum health standards as more and more Filipinos are vaccinated, to do two things: To give us hope and to give an incentive to those who are hesitant,” Austriaco said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
Vergeire, however, pointed out that allowing the general public to go maskless is still not on the table since the Philippines has yet to reach the rate of vaccination that countries such as the US have achieved.
“Mahirap mag-kumpara sa ibang bansa sa estado natin ngayon. Kung sa Estados Unidos po ay nagkaroon sila ng polisiya na pwede nang hindi mag-mask kapag nasa labas, tayo po dito, hindi pa rin po natin ‘yan makonsidera kasi ‘yung rate ng vaccination natin, hindi naman pareho doon sa Estados Unidos,” Vergeire said.
(It is hard to compare with other countries given our state right now. If the United States has a policy allowing their residents to not wear mask outdoors, here, we cannot consider that yet since our rate of vaccination is not the same as the US.)
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