Nasapawan ng Department of Tourism (DOT) ang Department of Health (DOH) matapos mag-anunsiyo si Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco na nakatakdang mag-isyu ng Executive Order (EO) si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos na gawing boluntaryo na lamang ang pagsusuot ng facemask sa indoors. Ang naturang hakbang ay sinang-ayunan sa naganap na cabinet meeting.
Nabatid na isinusuhestiyon pa lamang ng DOH na maging optional ang paggamit ng face mask indoors at magkaroon muna ng pilot test para malaman kung handa na ang health system sa bansa pero nasapawan na ang kanilang posisyon.
“Our position was that we take it slowly that we still do a pilot [test] first during this month of November so that we can see if kakayanin ng sistema (the system can manage). But the other sectors, of course, have proposed that we do it nationwide already,” ayon kay DOH officer-in-charge Ma. Rosario Vergeire.
Ang National Capital Region ay kabilang sa lugar na kanilang inirerekomenda dahil mataas ang uptake ng booster shots.
Sa kabila nang nasapawan ang posisyon ng DOH nirerespeto naman umano nito ang desisyong ginawa ng Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) .
“Ang sa atin lang naman po we were able to compromise and have that agreement na kapag of course, healthcare facilities, public transport, we still require the mask. Tapos po yung (Also the) unified messaging that we will be continuously advocating to our citizens na (that) in spite of this voluntary nature, dapat alam nila yung risk nila (they should know their risk),” ayon kay Vergeire.
Gayunman,patuloy pa ring hinihikayat ni Vergeire ang vunerable population, kabilang na ang matatanda at people with comorbidities na magsuot ng facemask. (Philip Reyes)