A Davao City COVID-19 Task Force official reiterated that the wearing of face masks is still mandatory in public transportation in the city.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, the spokesperson of the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force, bared this during the COVID-19 Alert program of 87.5 FM Davao City Wednesday, January 18.
She said, “Reminder sa mga jeepney, taxi, and bus drivers nato pati mga commuters nga kinahanglan gihapon mag-wear og face masks sulod sa public utility vehicles (We are reminding jeepney, taxi, and bus drivers that it is still required to wear face masks inside public utility vehicles).”
Schlosser said she has observed that there are jeepneys, wherein drivers and some commuters no longer wear face masks.
“Ubay-ubay na pud atong nakita nga wala ga-mask. Nakalimot na ang mga drivers and commuters nato nga mandatory for them to use face masks in public transportation whether on land, air, or sea (We have seen many without masks. Our drivers and commuters have forgotten that it is mandatory for them to use face masks in public transportation whether in the land, air, or sea),” the city health official said.
She said that face mask wearing is not optional for drivers and commuters in public transportation.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s Executive Order No. 7, Series of 2022 clearly mandates that wearing of face masks in indoor and outdoor settings is voluntary except for healthcare facilities, including, but not limited to clinics, hospitals, laboratories, nursing homes and dialysis clinics; medical transport vehicles (ambulance and paramedic response vehicles); and public transportation by land, air, or sea.
Although voluntary, the President’s EO also encourages the wearing of face masks among the elderly, individuals with comorbidities, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, unvaccinated individuals, and symptomatic individuals.
Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s EO No. 71, Series of 2022 adopted the provisions of the President’s EO, underscoring that “the minimum public health standards (MPHS) intended to effectively prevent and minimize COVID-19 transmission in the city shall continue to be implemented consistent with the principles of shared accountability, evidence-based decision making, socioeconomic equity, and rights-based approach.”
Schlosser said that although Davao City continues to enjoy a downtrend of COVID-19 cases even after the Christmas holidays, Dabawenyos should not be complacent.
As of January 15, 2023, the city currently has a total of 72 COVID-19 cases who are undergoing quarantine and isolation. The daily positivity rate remains low at 2.15 percent, with five percent as the acceptable positivity rate.
She attributed the low cases to the over 100 percent fully vaccinated individuals inoculated with the primary first and booster shots.
But Schlosser said it is very unfortunate that with low cases, Davao City still recorded one unvaccinated COVID-19 death in the past week. That’s why she urged Dabawenyos to avail of their primary two-dose series and booster shots for added protection from the severity of the disease.
“It is still very prominent and obvious nga kasagarang mamatay nga cases (that COVID-19 cases who die) are those unvaccinated individuals,” she said. CIO
