DOH: Wearing of face masks will always be part of ‘new normal’ to defeat COVID-19

Wearing face masks outdoors, regardless of what type of community quarantine protocols are in place, will always be part of the new normal in the Philippines as the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues, according to the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday.

"Itong pagsusuot ng mask ay hindi na mawawala sa ating mga patakaran. We are going into this new normal already kung saan whatever state of quarantine your area is in, ang mask ay palagi nang andiyan," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual conference.

"It's part of the new normal. Masks will always be part of our protocol," she added.

She made the reminder as some areas outside Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and other high-risk provinces are scheduled to enter a relaxed general community quarantine starting May 1.

Vergeire said wearing of face masks, as well as regular handwashing, cough etiquette, and physical distancing must be imbibed among the public.

Before COVID-19 became a global pandemic, the World Health Organization in January said that people who do not exhibit flu-like symptoms do not need to wear face masks.

More than two months later, the Philippine government mandated residents in areas covered by the enhanced community quarantine to wear face masks in public spaces to help slow the spread of the virus.

Improvised face masks may be used by individuals who are not inside health care facilities to ensure that supplies of surgical and N95 masks will not run out for the medical workers who have higher risks of being exposed to the novel coronavirus.

As of April 27, the Philippines recorded 7,777 cases of COVID-19, with 511 deaths and 932 recoveries. — RSJ, GMA News