Baguio mayor: Wear face masks as COVID-19 cases rise

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Wednesday encouraged residents and visitors to the City of Pines to wear face masks especially in crowded areas due to rising COVID-19 cases across the country. 

Magalong said the number of COVID-19 infections and cases with flu-like symptoms are increasing in Baguio, whose population of almost 400,000 spiked with the annual influx of tourists during the holiday season.  

“We’re already encouraging ‘yung use of face mask especially sa crowded areas tapos sa loob ng mga public transport dahil talaga ngang anticipated namin na tataas dahil lumalamig,” the mayor said in a public briefing.

(We're already encouraging the use of face masks especially in crowded areas and while riding in public transport because we really anticipated that cases will increase because it's getting colder.)

Magalong thus advised the public to bring their jackets when they visit Baguio as the temperature in the city is now at 15 °C to 23 °C this month.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa earlier encouraged the public to wear face masks amid increasing COVID-19 cases in the country. 

Despite the rise in COVID-19 infections, Department of Health spokesperson Undersecretary Enrique Tayag said that the agency is not recommending the return of mandatory wearing of face masks because the situation now is “expected.”

The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) has reported a slight increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in private hospitals as more Filipinos and their families gather for celebrations during the holidays.—RF, GMA Integrated News