President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is urging the public to continue wearing face masks and following other health precautions as the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic continues.
Marcos appealed to the public following the pronouncements from the Department of Health (DOH) warning of an increase in severe and critical Covid-19 cases by August due to waning immunity from the coronavirus vaccine and a lack of adherence to minimum public health standards.
“We have to wear face masks and comply with other health standards to ensure our safety and that of our loved ones,” said the president-elect in a statement released last Friday, June 17.
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According to the Palace, the policy on mandatory face mask use developed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and approved by Duterte takes precedence over the local ordinance.
Marcos also emphasized the importance of continuing to follow health protocols in order to avoid another wave of Covid-19 infections that could stymie the country’s economic recovery.
“We have already made economic headways and we should not allow them to be brought to naught. This is why I am urging everyone to take part in preventing another surge that could block our way to economic recovery,” he said.
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Marcos urged his fellow Filipinos to take advantage of the government’s free booster shots to protect themselves against Covid-19.
He believes that booster shots are necessary because waning immunity is caused by the effect of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant on the primary vaccine series.
