By Mike Lim JrPosted on June 6, 2022
(Photo by Philstar)
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan – Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told reporters on Monday, June 6, that he wants to pitch to the next administration to retain the COVID-19 face shield rule, continue and build on gains from the current administration.
Even as the next adminstration may have their own procedures for COVID-19 response, the health secretary said it should continue and build on what the current administration has started in the battle against the pandemic.
Duque said in a TV interview, “We will still convince the next administration to continue on and build on the gains of this administration. So far, the face mask mandate will remain until the last day of President Duterte on June 30.”
The health secretary added that the mandate of wearing face masks in the country has supplemented the national government’s operations in bringing down the number of cases of COVID-19.
He also linked the use of facemasks to the country’s increase in the Nikkei Asia’s recent COVID-19 Recovery Index where the Philippines went up to number 33 out of 120 countries.
Apart from wearing of facemasks and the Department of Health’s set protocols, Duque attributed the high vaccination rate of 77% out of 90 million target population in the country in its fight to lower infections. TNF