END IN SIGHT | A pedestrian tinkers with her mobile phone in front of a mural of people wearing a mask in Libis, Quezon City on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — Wearing masks will remain voluntary despite the rise of COVID-19 cases in most areas in the country, including Metro Manila, which the Department of Health (DOH) said was no cause for alarm.
While daily average new infections have climbed to 341 from 274 daily cases, the DOH said hospital admissions for severe or critical COVID-19 patients were starting to decline.
“Nationally, while cases are on an upward trend again, ICU (intensive care units) and severe/critical admissions show signs of decrease in recent days,” the DOH said in a news conference on Monday.
Maria Rosario Vergeire, the officer in charge of the DOH, said the number of detected cases was not as high as during the height of the pandemic.
“We are not considering a return of the mask mandate but we encourage people [to wear masks] in crowded and poorly ventilated places,” she said.