DOH wants to retain mask mandate amid pandemic

Philippine health authorities want to retain the mandatory wearing of face masks amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire stated that while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. verbally approved lifting the outdoor mask mandate, the Health department proposed a compromise allowing optional masking outdoors in low-risk settings and among low-risk individuals.

Vergeire emphasized the need to balance health and economic considerations, noting that data presented at the Inter-Agency Task Force meeting showed the Philippines and Myanmar as the only ASEAN member-states with ongoing mandatory outdoor mask rules.