DOH for retention of mandatory face mask policy, compromise reached — Vergeire

DOH Undersecretary and officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire (Senate PRIB Photo)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health wanted to retain the mandatory wearing of face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic,  DOH Undersecretary and  the officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Thursday.

Vergeire said this was the position of the DOH during the first  meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) leading to the recommendation of lifting the mandatory mask use outdoors. 

“The position of the DOH is for us to continue on masking, but there were several data that were presented also that led to this decision,” Vergeire said when interviewed on ABS-CBN News Channel.

She said the economic managers at the meeting also said that the number of tourists will increase once the outdoor mask mandate is lifted.

“So having said that, we needed to balance between the health and economy, and what we have compromised would be, this will be done among low risk individuals and in low risk settings,” she said.

“So meaning this will only be done outdoors, in settings where it is not crowded, in settings where there is good ventilation, and this will be done among low risk individuals — meaning not the senior citizens, not those with comorbidities, not the children, and definitely not those or having  symptoms with COVID-19,” added Vergeire.

Malacañang, however, clarified that the optional mask rule outdoors is not yet final.

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