President Rodrigo Duterte has rejected calls to end the face mask mandate, even as the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has already dropped.
In his taped address to the nation aired on Tuesday morning, Duterte said while removing face shields was not an issue not mandating face masks could increase vulnerability to COVID-19.
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“I am not ready to order the removal of the mask. Pero siguro yung plastic cover puwede na yun (sic) but as I said it has done a lot of good and prevented the contamination [from] spreading,” he said.
“Matagal pa ito, and there are reports… na may bagong COVID found in Israel. So whether we like it or not, kung totoo yan, it will reach again the shores of our country,” he added.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told Duterte that enforcement of minimum public health standards may have also prevented other non-COVID cases in 2020.
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“Masking, hindi pa natin ito puwede pakawalan. Kailangan patuloy pa rin natin sundin ang panuntunan ng ating Department of Health at IATF,” said Duque.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante earlier said on the country can shift to Alert Level 0, but face mask wearing must continue.
