Nilagdaan ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ang Executive Order No. 3, na nagpapahintulot sa boluntaryong paggamit ng face mask sa mga outdoor settings.
Ito ang inihayag noong Lunes ni Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles.
“Naglabas po tayo today ng Executive Order No. 3, allowing voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings and reiterating the continued implementation of minimum public health standards during the state of public health emergency relating to the COVID-19 pandemic,” sabi niya sa isang press briefing.
“Ito na po ‘yung ina-announce ng DOH na voluntary wearing of face masks outdoors, in non-crowded places, provided… kung kayo ay immunocompromised, seniors or hindi kumpleto ang bakuna, kailangan pa rin po mag-face mask or strongly encouraged ang face masks,” dagdag pa ni Cruz-Angeles.
Ang EO No. 3 ay nagsasaad na, “the voluntary wearing of face masks in open spaces and non crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation is hereby allowed; provided that not fully vaccinated individuals, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals are highly encouraged to wear their masks and physical distancing will be observed at all times.”
Idinagdag sa kautusan na dapat pa ring magsuot ng face mask, “in indoor, private or public establishments, including in public transportation by land, air or sea, and in outdoor settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.”
Sinabi ni Cruz-Angeles na ang iba pang minimum public health standards, na naglalayong pigilan ang pagkalat ng COVID-19 sa bansa, ay dapat pa ring sundin kasama ang mga principles ng shared accountability, evidence-based decision making, socio-economic equity at rights-based approach.
Ayon sa opisyal ng Palasyo, inutusan ang Department of Health na i-update ang minimum public health standards guidelines sa gitna ng pagpapalabas ng EO No.
“This order shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the OG (Official Gazette) or newspaper of general circulations,” aniya.
Nang tanungin kung ano ang naging desisyon ng Pangulo sa boluntaryong pagsusuot ng face mask sa mga outdoor setting, binanggit ni Cruz-Angeles na 6% na ang layo ng bansa sa wall of immunity.
“He had imposed a condition and one of that is the establishment of the wall of immunity since we are 6% away from that then it’s time. So we’re doing this in stages, in phases so that we can have feedback on whether or not these new policies are working and how to make them more efficient,” ani Press secretary.
Sabi pa ni Cruz-Angeles, “Hopefully, by the end of the year, we might be able to have a… to be voluntarily mask indoors as well.”
LGUs
Samantala, sinabi ni Cruz-Angeles na ang mga local government unit ay may mahalagang papel sa nasabing executive order, lalo na sa mga pamantayan ng mga espasyo gayundin sa mga kondisyon tulad ng pagtukoy kung anong lugar ang maaaring ituring na may “good ventilation.”
“Normally things like these will be determined by the local government kasi sila po ang enforcement in these instances,” aniya pa.
Inirekomenda ng Inter-Agency Task Force of Emerging Infectious Diseases ang boluntaryong pagsusuot ng face mask sa mga open space sa pagtatapos ng taon sa gitna ng pandemya ng COVID-19, sinabi ng Malacañang noong Miyerkules.