Cebu City's COVID-19 cases continued to decrease despite optional face mask use — OCTA

The cases of COVID-19 in Cebu City continue to decrease even with the optional wearing of face masks outdoors, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said Friday.

At a public briefing, David was asked if the optional wearing of masks in open spaces will affect the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

“Kung masusunod naman to the letter 'yung executive order na open spaces lang, sa outdoors, ay tingin naman natin hindi naman malaki ang magiging epekto nito,” he said.

(If the executive order is followed to the letter that face mask is optional only in open spaces and outdoors, I think it would not have a great effect on the number of cases.)

“Magbibigay ako ng halimbawa, sa Cebu pababa pa rin ang bilang ng kaso although, sa alam ko, optional na ang face mask sa Cebu at marami na ang hindi nagsusuot ng face masks outdoors,” he added.

(I will give an example, in Cebu, the cases there continue to decrease although, from what I know, the wearing of face masks in Cebu is already optional and many people are not using face masks outdoors.)

In August, the Cebu City government lifted the mandatory face mask policy in outdoor and open spaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On September 12, Palace announced that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 3, allowing the voluntary use of face mask in outdoor settings.—AOL, GMA News