DOH raises scenario toward yearend if gov’t lifts mask use indoors
The number of COVID-19 cases could reach 18,000 a day toward the end of the year if the government makes wearing masks indoors voluntary, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said this projection was presented during a meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) last week, where it was decided that the wearing of face masks in indoor areas will be made voluntary.
“According to our projections, our cases may increase from 2,500 at the lower limit to as high as 18,000 towards November and December of this year, if we remove our masks,” she said in Filipino during a radio interview.
Vergeire said COVID-19 infections are really expected to rise if masks go off because the coronavirus is still here and is mutating.
What is important, however, is that the severe and critical cases would be kept at the minimum level, and that hospital utilization remains manageable, she said.
While the DOH illustrated all potential scenarios to the IATF on Friday, the task force is a collegial body that takes into consideration the concerns of all sectors, she said.
Vergeire also called on the public to weigh their risks before removing their masks indoors, considering the still-slow booster uptake in the country.
At least 20.4 million Filipinos out of the 73.4 million fully vaccinated individuals have received their booster shots, based on the DOH’s national COVID-19 vaccination dashboard.
“Right now, we highly encourage our citizens to receive boosters, but the uptake is really very slow right now,” she said.
“What we really need to do is to assess our risks when we go out or go to indoor spaces. If you think that there are only a few people there or you think that you are not vulnerable, then very well, you can voluntarily remove your masks,” she said.
Vergeire also emphasized that masks are still required in public transport and in medical facilities.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco disclosed Tuesday that the government is planning to lift the mandatory wearing of masks indoors.
Unvaccinated individuals, persons with comorbidities, and older people are still “highly encouraged” to wear masks, she said of the plan.
The Philippines is also set to waive other health protocols for travelers, including the requirement of presenting negative RT-PCR test results upon arrival, Frasco added.
Since the pandemic began, the country has recorded 3.99 million COVID-19 infections, of which 21,215 were considered active cases as of Thursday.
The tally includes 63,921 fatalities.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to issue an executive order that Frasco said he would.
Vergeire urged the public to get their booster shots.
“Now that we are easing our restrictions, one of the major things that can protect us would be the vaccines,” she said.
On Thursday, the head of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) added its voice to the chorus of medical experts who said relaxing mask mandates indoors was premature, saying this would give the public the wrong notion that the pandemic was over.
Pending the release of the President’s executive order, PHAPIpresident Dr. Jose de Grano said the voluntary use of face masks indoors may result in the public being complacent against the still-prevalent COVID-19.
“For us, we think it’s premature. It might give the impression that we are already free and that because it’s voluntary, people may think that COVID-19 is gone,” he said in Filipino in a TV interview.
“But in reality, the number of cases is still high. We still have 20,000 plus active cases, and more than 1,000 to 2,000 daily cases,” he said.
De Grano said the country is still not ready to ease face mask mandates nationwide, but since the President already decided on the matter, people should just decide for themselves whether it would be good to take off their masks.
He called for continued adherence to the minimum public health standards, particularly the wearing of face mask indoors and outdoors.
The DOH has maintained people will be more protected against COVID-19 if they use more layers of protection such as masking, vaccination, physical distancing, proper ventilation, sanitation, and taking care of their health.
The DOH on Thursday logged 1,379 new registered COVID-19 cases, while the number of active infections dropped to 21,215.
The new daily tally is an increase from the 1,121 new cases recorded on Wednesday, but the total of active cases decreased by 110 from 21,325.
The DOH said the new cases also increased the country’s caseload to 3,999,226.
The National Capital Region (NCR) logged the most cases in the recent two weeks with 6,290 cases reported, followed by Calabarzon with 3,569, Central Luzon with 2,130, Western Visayas with 1,674, and Davao Region with 1,263.
At least 1,357 new patients recovered bringing the recovery tally to 3,914,090, according to the DOH.
From Oct. 17 to 23, the Philippines recorded an average of 1,714 daily infections, which is 22 percent lower compared to the previous week.
That was the lowest number of weekly cases in 15 weeks, or since July 4 to 10 when the DOH logged 10,133 infections.
That was also the ninth straight week with weekly cases below 20,000.
Of the new infections during that week, 4 or 0.04 percent were severe and critical cases, according to DOH’s latest bulletin.
