Starting today, April 2, Filipinos are now obliged to wear any type of face masks as they go outside with their errands amidst the Luzon-wide lockdown due to escalation of COVID-19 pandemic.
“Sa mga lugar kung saan ipinatupad ang enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), lahat po ng mga kababayan natin na lalabas sa kanilang tahanan para mamili ay required na po gumamit ng face mask, panyo, face shields, o anumang kagamitan na makakatulong sa pagpigil ng pagkalat ng COVID-19 virus,” said Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for Emerging Infectious Disease spokesperson Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles in his virtual presser today.
[In place where the enhanced community quarantine is implemented, all our countrymen who will go out of their homes to buy are not required to use face mask, handkerchief, face shields or any other materials that can help stop the spread of COVID-19 virus.]
Nograles further mentioned that improvised masks will do, so long that individuals can cover their mouth and nose.
The IATF or the national government does not have any programs yet for distributing face masks to each and every citizen affected. Demand for face masks increased since the eruption of Taal and supplies have been scarce since, the COVID-19 outbreak only increasing the demand further. Price of face masks also soared.
IATF urged local government units to issue necessary executive orders or ordinances regarding the mandatory wearing of face masks. Penalties will be imposed in negligence of the said measures.
Muntinlupa City has required their residents to wear face masks at all times, so as to observe physical distancing, in view of the pandemic.
Under Muntinlupa City Ordinance 2020-83 signed on April 1, these measures were added under the ECQ implementation.
“Every person is required to wear face masks at all times, especially when going outside of their residence, at the workplace, when entering government buildings and offices, and while in public places,” stated in the ordinance.
As of April 1, the Muntinlupa City recorded 41 confirmed COVID-19 cases including 4 fatalities, 173 persons under monitoring, and 39 persons under investigations (PUI) have been cleared of the virus.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health announced that there are 2,311 confirmed cases with 96 fatalities and 50 recoveries nationwide.
