FILE PHOTO: Bohol residents wear face masks and practice social distancing to contain the spread of COVID-19. Photo by Leo Udtohan
TAGBILARAN CITY — Rep. Alexie Besas-Tutor of Bohol’s third district on Friday expressed support for the new face mask policy against COVID-19.
“I support the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) in their latest recommendations based on science and the practical lives of our citizens,” she said in a statement.
Malacañang announced Wednesday that the IATF had recommended lifting the mandatory wearing of face masks in outdoor areas.
Tutor, a physical therapist by profession, said what people need at this time are practical and easy-to-follow policies.
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She said the non-mandatory wearing of face masks in outdoor settings signals the beginning of a good change when setting COVID-19 policies.
She said the IATF must also respect each local government’s power and ability to protect its constituents’ health.
Lessons learned in 2020 and 2021, she said, must be put into practice now.
“DOH (Department of Health) says they will study what face mask policy is needed for indoor settings. Why are they doing that only now? They should have had enough data by now after more than two years of this pandemic,” said Tutor.
She said she was inclined to believe that Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia have been largely on the right track in crafting policies against COVID-19.
Tutor also said the definition of “fully vaccinated” must be changed soon to include at least one booster shot.
“Again, DOH and IATF seem to be slow. The United States is already rolling out the boosters against the old and new variants of COVID. Will the Philippines be late again? The burden of proof is on DOH and IATF. They must show that the failures of 2020 and 2021 will not repeat now or ever again,” Tutor said.
READ: Gov’t eyes new definition of ‘full vaccination’