MANILA – The public should keep wearing face masks regardless of the COVID-19 quarantine alert level classification in the Philippines, a group of doctors said Monday.

Philippine College of Physicians president Dr. Maricar Limpin made the statement when asked about her thoughts about the further easing of quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila.

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“Actually yung Alert Level 1, kung titingnan ho natin parehas halos Alert Level 0 na rin ho yun ano, kasi lahat ho ng mga tao, nasa labas na. And kung titingnan ho natin, maski sa mga establishments, sa mga malls, andami na hong tao,” Limpin noted.

“Pati rin po yung mga restaurants, nakakaabot na ho sila, hindi ho sila yung the usual na expected na 70 percent, mas madami pa ho sa 70 percent, may 80 percent siguro, 90 percent. So, siguro po, maghinay-hinay muna tayo, saka I hope ‘no, hindi ho ibig sabihin ng alert level 0 ay aalisin ho yung mask.”

“Kasi kailangan pa rin ho nating magsuot ng mask. Yun ho ang pinakaimportante sa aming lahat, yung pananatili ng pagsusuot ng mask,” she added.

The doctor stressed that mask-wearing remains imperative as a number of Filipinos remain in the intensive care unit due to COVID-19.

“Definitely ho kailangan pa ho natin na magsuot ng face mask dahil ang virus po naririto pa po. E meron pa rin ho tayo mga tao mga kababayan na nagkakaroon ng COVID-19. At may mga kababayan din tayo na nasa ICU because of COVID-19.”

“So sa puntong yan, talagang pinapakita ho sa atin na kailangan pa rin hong manatili tayo na magsuot ng face mask,” she stressed.

The Philippines has recorded declining number of COVID-19 cases after posting record numbers in January.

A doctor last week noted that the Philippines is not yet ready for de-escalation to Alert Level 0, amid the increase of mobility and air travel and low testing numbers in the country.

• PH not yet ready for Alert Level 0: expert

--TeleRadyo, 14 March 2022