Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong on June 7 said he is ready to relax the face mask requirement if the downtrend in Covid-19 cases continues in the next 14 days.
The mayor said various Covid-19 indicators point to a decline in case incidence in the past days.
“If we continue to maintain this trend for 14 days, I will declare wearing of masks optional,” he said.
The mayor issued Executive Order 63-2023 on May 17 reviving the mandatory use of face masks in indoor spaces like work places, classrooms, events venues, banquet halls, conference rooms, and the like.
He said the move is part of the city’s proactive stance to constantly safeguard the health of the populace in view of the increase in Covid-19 cases.
Data from the Department of Health-Cordillera showed as of June 5, Covid-19 cases in the city reached 47,967 of which 46,922 have recovered. There are 91 active cases.
The Cordillera has already logged 131,332 Covid-19 cases of which 128,219 have recovered and 258 are active cases. The region’s recovery rate was at 97.73 percent as of June 5.
At the national level, the Department of Health has already acquired the donated bivalent vaccines whose formulation is seen to provide added protection against the virus that causes the Covid-19.
The World Health Organization continues to remind the public to be cautious despite the downtrend in cases as there are other variants being monitored by the global health agency. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
