BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is not keen on lifting the facemask mandate.
The province would continue to follow the guidance of the National Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), he said, pointing out the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has yet to be declared over.
In nearby Cebu province, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia issued an executive order partially lifting the facemask mandate.
Lacson said Negrenses should still follow the mask mandate for their own safety.
Based on the Cebu governor’s executive order, the wearing of facemasks will be optional in open spaces and well-ventilated areas.
However, facemasks will still be required in close and air-conditioned spaces.
The order was later questioned by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Eduardo Año. He ordered the police to continue apprehending those who violate the IATF’s guidelines in Cebu province.
Garcia, meanwhile, remains firm in her order, explaining that local chief executives have the right to make such a decision as they have more knowledge of the situation on the ground than that the IATF.
She further pointed out that the executive order is optional and will not force anybody not to wear their facemasks./PN
