The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday appealed to the public to be aware of the risks if they remove their face masks inside malls and other indoor establishments.
"The malls, the different establishments actually are now implementing voluntary masking already. So tayo po ay nanawagan sa ating mga kababayan unang una, nanawagan tayo na sana tayo ay alam natin ang ating risk level, alam natin kung kailan tayo pipiliing magtanggal ng mask o kung kailan pipiliin magsuot ng mask," DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said at the press briefing.
(The malls and the different establishments are implementing voluntary masking so we appeal to our countrymen, first of all, we should know our risk level, we should know when we choose to remove the mask or when we choose to wear a mask.)
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 7, marking the first time since March 2020 that the public has had the option to wear face masks or otherwise in indoor settings.
Vergeire said people with comorbidities, the unvaccinated, and those who have vulnerable companions in their homes should keep wearing face masks indoors to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"Kapag tayo ay vulnerable kagaya ng tayo ay nakakatanda meron tayong comorbidities, hindi tayo bakunado, meron tayong mga kasamang vulnerable sa ating bahay tayo ay pilliin na laging nakamask sa loob ng mga establishimento, ngayon kapag naman tayo ay pupunta sa mga matataong lugar kung pupunta tayo sa pangit na bentilasyon na lugar pillin natin na magmask pa rin tayo," she said.
(When we are as vulnerable, like the elderly, those with comorbidities, the unvaccinated, and those who have vulnerable companions at home, always wear masks inside establishments. Now when we go to crowded places, if we go in areas with poor ventilation, let us choose to wear a mask.)
She then urged mall operators to also take care of the vulnerable sector.
"Para naman sa ating mga operators ng mall sana po yung ating mga vulnerable ay mapangalagaan po natin tulungan po natin ang ating gobyerno na pangalagaan ang mga taong mas mataas ang risk magkaroon ng COVID-19 at mas mataas ang risk magkaroon ng severe at critical," she said.
(As for our mall operators, I hope they should take care of our vulnerable group. Let's help our government to take care of these people who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and at higher risk of severe and critical illness.)
"Ito po yung ating mga nakakatanda, ito po yung ating may comorbidities, hindi bakunado sana po kahit meron tayong ganitong patakaran ieencourage pa rin po natin itong sector ng population na kailangan naka mask pa rin even in indoor spaces," she added.
(These are our elderly, persons with comorbidities, and unvaccinated. Even if we have this policy, we will still encourage this sector of the population to wear a mask even in indoor spaces.)
COVID-19 updates
Based on the report released by the DOH on Friday, the Visayas region still had a slow upward case trend.
The National Capital Region (NCR) plus areas, including Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, meanwhile exhibited a downward trend.
The DOH, meanwhile, said that cases in the rest of Luzon and Mindanao had plateaued.
The Health Department said ICU admissions in the country have also started to decrease as of November 2.
"The ICU admissions remain to be composed of mostly primary COVID-19 cases, now at 59%," it added.
Vaccination updates
As of November 3, the DOH said almost 73.6 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Health Department said more than 6.9 million senior citizens are already inoculated, while more than 10 million adolescents and 5.2 million children are fully vaccinated.
It added that 20.6 million individuals have received their first booster dose and almost 3.4 million have received their second booster shots. -- DVM, GMA Integrated News
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