Health professionals and lawmakers split Wednesday over the government’s decision to make the wearing of face masks voluntary even indoors, amid warnings that this could bring a new spike in COVID-19 infections.
Dr. Rontgene Solante, an infectious diseases expert, said with new variants on the rise, COVID-19 cases could rise again as the country eases its mask mandate.
Solante said that while the announcement that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to issue an executive order easing the face mask mandate indoors did not come as a surprise, he remains skeptical about it, especially with the recent detection of the Omicron XBB subvariant and XBC variant.
“When you make face masks optional indoors, then there is really a risk,” Solante said in a public briefing.
Solante said there is always a possibility of infections in indoor settings, especially if they are crowded. This could also be risky for those who are unvaccinated and the vulnerable sector if they decide not to wear their face masks, he added.
A former adviser to the government response to COVID-19, Dr. Tony Leachon, also said it was too early for the Philippines to lift mask mandates in indoor spaces.
“I don’t think we are ready, I think it’s still premature,” Leachon told ABS-CBN TeleRadyo, speaking in Filipino.
Leachon said, on top of the presence of the XBB subvariant and XBC variant in the country, many people are also expected to head out this weekend to commemorate the All Saints and All Souls Days.
“I think we should wait two weeks after the entry of the XBB subvariant and XBC variants, and after the All Souls Day commemoration before we impose aggressive measures,” Leachon said.
“We know that the virus is airborne, and in an area with poor ventilation, viral transmission is stronger,” he added.
Other Southeast Asian countries that have lifted mask mandates already gave boosters to more than 50 percent of their population, Leachon also said.
“We’re only at 20 million boosters. So our countrymen are not ready for this, so while we agree that we need to reopen the economy, we still want face masks worn in indoor spaces,” he said.
Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia Frasco said Tuesday that the President will soon issue an executive order to make the indoor wearing of face masks voluntary all over the Philippines with a few exceptions.
The order will allow the country “to convey an openness and readiness to the world” and to receive tourists and investments, she said.
A group of health workers has also opposed the government’s plan to make face masks optional indoors.
Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) president Robert Mendoza cautioned against further relaxing protocols given the threat of highly transmissible and more immune-evasive Omicron subvariants.
“We are against that, the optional removal of masks indoors because we know that there are new omicron subvariant,” he told ANC’s “Headstart” Wednesday, speaking in Filipino.
Mendoza cited the local transmission of XBB subvariant and XBC variant in the Philippines.
The XBC, a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2 and delta (B.1.617.2) variant, has claimed five lives so far, he added.
He said health workers would suffer the brunt of a new surge in COVID-19 infections.
Meanwhile, a member of the Department of Health’s Technical Advisory Group Pediatric Infectious Diseases called for the continued use of face masks by students inside school premises a week before the full implementation of face-to-face classes in schools.
Dr. Anna Ong-Lim said there was nothing to lose if students would continue wearing their face masks, especially when they gather for five days a week of face-to-face classes starting Nov. 2.
She said COVID-19 infections usually increased whenever protocols were eased while the pandemic was still ongoing.
The health community’s caution was in stark contrast to the welcome expressed by lawmakers, who said the easing of mask mandates signaled a return to normalcy.
In the House, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte and Quezon City Rep. Reynan Arrogancia welcomed the news that the use of face masks indoors would be made voluntary.
“The relaxation of the mandatory mask policy even in indoor settings and the lifting of the anti-Covid vaccination and RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) testing protocols for inbound international travellers would best underscore President Marcos’ message to the world that we are back after going through the pandemic’s wringer, that we have started to normalize the coronavirus situation, and that it’s time for us to put the economy back on its high growth path before the pandemic hit us almost three years ago,” Villafuerte said.
Arrogancia said he supports Marcos’ decision because the country is “long overdue for relaxing the safety protocols.”
“We would be better off because our sweet smiles would not be hidden by face masks. It would help in revitalizing tourism,” Arrogancia added.
Senator Christopher Go also said he welcomed the easing of mask mandates but said clear and specific guidelines were needed to ensure the safety of every Filipino.
Senator Grace Poe said the optional wearing of face masks will pave the way to strengthen the country’s tourism industry that will bring more jobs.
On Wednesday, the Palace also announced that airline passengers will no longer be required to fill out the Electronic Arrival Card (eArrival Card) as a prerequisite for boarding.
Press Secretary officer-in-charge Cheloy Garafil said lanes will be designated in airports for those complying with the government requirement.
“It’s no longer mandatory; lanes will be set up in airports for this system,” she said.
The government will implement the eArrival Card scan-and-go system in the country’s airports to ease travel for incoming travelers while also protecting the public from COVID-19.
The eArrival card replaced the “One Health Pass” requirement.
