This was stressed Tuesday, September 6, 2022, by Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, head of Bacolod City Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), after Cebu City announced the non-mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors in Cebu City effective September 1, 2022.
Pornan said Bacolod City will only follow a directive from the national IATF if they will lift, or not, the mandatory use of face masks.
“For me, we are not yet ready because we still have high cases of Covid-19,” she said, adding that the public should still observe the use of face masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama earlier issued Executive Order No. 5 making the use of face masks within the city non-obligatory.
With the mayor’s order, wearing of face mask within the jurisdiction of the city is now optional and would depend on the individual’s “self-preservation.”
As of September 5, Bacolod City has a total of 29, 223 Covid-19 cases.
Of the number, 28, 177 patients already recovered, 142 active cases with 889 deaths.
On the same period, Bacolod City has a total of 20 new cases with 13 patients recovered.
Pornan said the city has an existing City Ordinance No. 944, requiring the proper use of face masks in a certain places as an added protection against Covid-19.
The violator of the ordinance will be fined P200 and P300 for non-residence of Bacolod City.
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) also intensified its operation against health protocol violators, she added.