ILOILO – The wearing of facemask outdoors is now optional in this province.
This new policy is contained in Executive Order (EO) No. 260-G issued by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. on Wednesday afternoon extending until Sept. 15 the COVID-19 Alert Level 1 in the province and outlining health and safety standards and protocols.
The EO takes effect immediately.
When indoors, however, and when in public transport by land, air or sea, wearing facemask remains mandatory, Defensor stressed, except for the following instances:
* when eating and drinking
* when participating in team and individual sports in venues where ventilation standards can be maintained
* when practicing outdoor sports/exercise activities where physical distance can be maintained
The province’s new facemask policy jibes with the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) announced also yesterday – the voluntary use of facemasks outdoors.
According to Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, the optional wearing of facemask is only for low-risk individuals and in low-risk settings.
“Ni-liberalize natin ‘yung paggamit ng masks sa outdoors pero doon sa low-risk individuals and in low-risks settings, meaning hindi sila matanda, hindi sila immunocompromised. And low-risk setting, ibig sabihin doon sa mga areas na hindi matao at saka maayos po ang daloy ng hangin,” she said.
The recommendation also includes the pilot study on the wearing of masks indoors in selected areas.
The taskforce also recommended that this proposed policy be implemented in phases to ensure the population’s protection against the coronavirus.
“Tayo po ngayon ay kumakalap na ng ebidensiya, gumagawa na rin po tayo ng concept paper kung saan ‘yung study, kung saan paano natin gagawin yung study ng pagpa-pilot,” Vergeire said.
She then clarified that the optional wearing of facemask outdoors is not yet a policy and the DOH, as the chair of the IATF, is just “initially informing the public about the recommendation”.
“Because there was this verbal approval from the President when they talked with Secretary Benhur [Abalos Jr.] from DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government], but it stated in IATF Resolution No. 1 Series of 2022, that the IATF has resolved to recommend to the President and that there should be, or the President will issue an executive order regarding this policy,” she said. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
