‘Not safe yet’ to lift mask rule, outdoor areas not free from risk, says expert

Infectious Disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante during the Laging Handa press briefing on Monday, June 13, 2022. Screengrab from PCOO / Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — An infectious disease expert on Monday said outdoor spaces are not free from the risk of COVID-19 transmission, saying lifting the mandatory wearing of face masks in these areas is “not safe yet.”

This comes in light of Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia’s executive order, allowing the optional use of face masks in open and well-ventilated areas.

“Comparing a ventilated or open space and a closed indoor in terms of transmission, mas mataas ang risk sa indoor. But outdoor, it doesn’t also mean zero ang risk, especially sa mga matataong lugar – sa mga public market, sa mga public transportation system,” Dr. Rontgene Solante said during a Monday’s Laging Handa briefing.

(Comparing a ventilated or open space and a closed indoor in terms of transmission, the risk is higher indoors. But outdoors, it doesn’t also mean the risk is zero, especially in crowded places – in public markets, in the public transportation system.)

Solante is the chief of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Unit at the government-run San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.

“Plus the fact na mayroon pa tayong mga variants of concern na hindi natin alam ang status especially in the provinces ‘no, I think it’s not safe yet to lift the mask mandate not only indoors but also outdoors,” he went on.

(Plus the fact that we have variants of concern that we don’t know the status of especially in the provinces, I think it’s not safe yet to lift the mask mandate not only indoors but also outdoors.)

Earlier, Garcia defended her executive order, saying it seeks to “rationalize” the requirement of wearing face masks within the province of Cebu.

READ: In Cebu province: Face masks no longer required outdoors

However, the Department of the Interior and Local Government refused to recognize her order in light of prevailing guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.

READ: DILG, Cebu local gov’t in face-off over mask rule

At present, IATF guidelines “allow only for specific instances when masks can be taken off, such as when eating or during certain well-ventilated sports and activities.”

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