THE CITY COVID-19 Task Force urged Davaoeños to “be very responsible” amid the voluntary wearing of face masks in an outdoor setting as stipulated in the Executive Order (EO) No. 3, Series of 2022, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sept. 12.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, the spokesperson of the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force, underscored the importance of educating people about a sense of accountability and responsibility following the release of EO 3.
The President’s EO allows voluntary face mask wearing in open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation.
However, not fully vaccinated individuals, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals are highly encouraged to wear their masks and physical distancing will be observed at all times.
EO 3 also emphasized that face masks must still be worn in indoor private or public establishments, including public transport by land, air, sea, and outdoor, where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Schlosser said, “With the voluntary wearing of face masks, kita tanan naa’y responsibilidad towards ourselves and each other. Kung open kaayo ang parameters ug dili controlled ang area, please, you know what is risky or not (If the parameters are open and not controlled, please know what is risky or not).”
She said that at the end of the day, Davaoeños return to their homes and expose their immunocompromised loved ones to the virus.
There is a higher risk of infecting their children, who are not yet eligible for vaccination, senior parents who belong to the vulnerable sector, or immunocompromised siblings and relatives at home.
“Naa sa katawhan ang desisyon to voluntarily wear a face mask and protect themselves. Hangyo namo please be very responsible and be accountable for your action. At the end of the day, dili lang ikaw ang apektado, apektado imong loved ones, ug ang imong komunidad kung asa ka nagpuyo (It is up to the people to voluntarily wear face masks and protect themselves. We ask you to please be very responsible and accountable for your action. At the end of the day, you are not the only ones affected, your loved ones are affected, and the community where you live),” she said during the COVID-19 Alert program of Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Wednesday, September 14.
The city health official also said that the Safety and Security Cluster would continue to monitor face mask wearing indoors and in public and private establishments. However, in the past few days, she has observed that Davaoeños continued to wear face masks in open spaces and non-crowded areas.
She added, “Once inside establishments, mandated gihapon to wear face masks pati sa mga enclosed and poor ventilated areas, sa mga public transportation like jeepneys, taxis, and buses, mga public utility vehicles (Once inside establishments, it is still mandated that everyone wear face masks, including in enclosed and poorly ventilated areas like transportation – jeepneys, taxis, and buses, and public utility vehicles).”
Schlosser also encouraged the public to protect themselves if the open area is crowded, such as public markets or social events, which are considered high-risk places and activities.
She called on everyone to vaccinate themselves and take their booster shots for added protection as soon as they can amid the more relaxed COVID-19 protocols.
Establishments also
play a significant role
She said members of the security cluster were tasked to monitor the implementation of the face mask policy indoors. Still, She added the local government hopes for cooperation from the establishments since the police also need to maintain security aside from monitoring compliance with the minimum public health standards.
“The monitoring will be done by the men in uniform, and we will be needing the help of the establishments because with so many people going around inside establishments here in Davao, they can outnumber our men in uniform,” she said.
After almost three years of battling COVID-19, Schlosser said, the local government believes that establishments and other institutions know the importance of keeping face masks on in poorly ventilated offices to avoid getting infected.
She said City Ordinance No. 0307-20 passed on July 23, 2020, imposing mandatory wearing of face masks in public areas remains applicable for indoor spaces.
Under the ordinance, any person “caught not wearing a face mask in public places shall be penalized with a fine of P500 for the first offense; P2,000 for the second offense; and P5,000 or one-month imprisonment for the third offense.”
Schlosser urged individuals who belong to the vulnerable sector, including senior citizens and the immunocompromised, who may likely suffer from severe to critical type of COVID-19, to keep their masks on in public and observe physical distancing.
“All of us have responsibility towards ourselves and other people. We appeal to people to wear your masks during social events. Please, you know what is risky and what is not… Be responsible because at the of the day, you are not only one to be affected, you will also affect your loved ones and the entire community where you live,” she said.
From September 4 to 10, the city government recorded 19 deaths due to COVID-19, most of whom were senior citizens and unvaccinated individuals.
Schlosser hopes that with the voluntary wearing of face masks in public areas, COVID-19 cases will not significantly increase.
Marcos Jr. released EO No. 3 last Monday allowing optional wearing of face masks in open spaces or non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation.
In issuing the order, the President approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases allowing the optional wearing of face masks in open spaces or non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation.
It said that as of September 6, 2022, there were 72 million individuals or 93% of the target population in the country who are fully vaccinated against the virus while 18 million or 23% have received booster doses.
Section 1 provides that the voluntary wearing of face masks in open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation, is hereby allowed, provided that not fully-vaccinated individuals, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals are highly encouraged to wear their masks, and physical distancing will be observed all times.
It added that “face masks shall continue to be worn in indoor private or public establishments, including in public transportation by land, air, or sea, and in outdoor settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.”
Section 2 states that the minimum public health standards intended to prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19 effectively shall continue to be implemented consistent with the principles of shared accountability, evidence-based decision-making, socioeconomic equity and rights-based approach. (with reports from Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
