We can’t yet link COVID-19 rise to loosened mask rules – DOH

Department of Health officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire during the press conference at the Department of Health central office on August 16, 2022. (File photo by NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — It is too early to say if the increase in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila was caused by the relaxed policy on wearing face masks outdoors, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

But DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the impact of the latest masking rule may be seen two weeks from now.

“Ang masasabi natin, hindi natin pwedeng i-attribute na itong pagtaas ng mga kasong ito dito sa pagtatanggal ng mask outdoors,” Vergeire said in a press briefing when asked if the recent increase of cases in Metro Manila could be due to the lifting of mandatory face mask use outdoors.

(We can say that we cannot attribute the increase in cases to the removal of masks outdoors just yet.)

“As I have said, it would take us around one to two weeks for us to be able to analyze the effect of this easing of masking or optional masking outdoors,” she added.

Vergeire said the increase in mobility due to the resumption of face-to-face classes could be a factor in the rise of COVID-19 cases in the country’s capital region. Although she also said they are still validating the such theory.

“What we can say, tumaas ang mobility mula nagumpisa ang face-to-face classes. So, tinitignan natin ‘yung relasyon nito dito sa pagtaas kasi hindi naman natin nakikita ‘yung ganitong pagtaas sa ibang rehiyon,” she said.

(We can say that mobility has increased since face-to-face classes started. So, we are analyzing the relationship of the relaxed face mask rule to this increase in cases because we did not see a such increase in other regions.)

On September 12, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 3, allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in open spaces and other outdoor settings.

READ: Face mask use now voluntary outdoors but…

Independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research earlier said that COVID-19 positivity rate in Metro Manila has increased – from 12.7 percent on September 7 to 14.5 percent as of September 14.

As of Thursday, September 15, the Philippines has confirmed 3,913,536 COVID-19 cases, including 24,843 active cases,  3,780,844 recoveries, and 62,343 deaths.

READ: PH logs 2,141 new COVID-19 cases

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