President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued an executive order making the wearing of face masks throughout the country optional. But in indoor places, protective masks should still be worn. It has been two years since the pandemic started and wearing a face mask became necessary. Now that COVID-19 is still prevalent, people are being advised by the government that wearing protective masks is voluntary.
As per the Department of Health (DOH) report, from September 5 to 11, 2022, there are 15,379 new COVID-19 cases recorded. Along with this continuity of rising COVID-19 cases, Marcos has still managed to implement an optional use of masks in outdoor places. Prevention is the best cure we have right now and if we will just take it for granted then it will result in the worst-case scenario — the COVID-19 surge.
In a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing, speaking, singing, or breathing. This way of transmission cannot be prevented if people are not wearing a mask. There is a high risk of getting infected and it is not a good thing because if many people are positive for the virus then it will create a domino effect — the country's economic and healthcare status will be at stake.
The pandemic has caused the Philippines' economy to experience its worst downturn since World War II, with a 9.5 percent decline in GDP in 2020, as stated in the news report of Rappler. While during the 2020 annual unemployment rate, there are 10.3% or 4.5 million unemployed Filipinos, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). During this present time, the state is just regaining its loss from the surge of the pandemic. We must not let the country be plunged down again.
In the news report of ABS-CBN, out of the 72.7 million people who completed the primary series for COVID-19, almost 18.5 million have received their booster doses. If we look at these numbers, it is still premature to ease the health protocols because there is only a small number of people who have had booster shots — vaccines are our safest preventive measure against getting the virus. Also, there are people who still cannot take the vaccine because of their medical problems.
Our country is clearly not yet safe. An opponent we have right now is still an invisible foe and risking the lives of the public is not worth it. The simple protective mask can save our lives from danger. Removing our shield is like us surrendering to the enemy. Wearing a face mask is not just a protection for ourselves but also for protecting other people.
Cartoon by: Jemina Gonzalez
References:
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/12/22/philippines-oks-optional-face-mask-use-outdoors
https://doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker?fbclid=IwAR0T2v78Xr-_PtMqCOC3SgKTvqMd4wRdyrotNs2lwSUf6Tk7N39WQSKCpKM
https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-how-is-it-transmittedC
https://www.rappler.com/business/charts-philippine-economy-year-in-covid-19-lockdown-2021/
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