DOH: No mask policy despite more flu cases
The Department of Health (DOH) does not see the need for now to make the usage of face masks mandatory amid a rise in cases of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) with the country in the middle of the flu season.
“Not yet. Among the things we look at when we’re considering a new mandate is the rise in hospital admissions involving severe cases. We look at whether intensive care units are getting full and so far, we have yet to see that,” Health Assistant Secretary and DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo said in an interview with dzMM Teleradyo.
He added that the country is still in the middle of the flu season, although he emphasized that there is no outbreak of the disease.
The DOH earlier reported that it logged a total of 6,457 ILI cases nationwide from Sept. 28 to Oct. 11. It noted that the figure was lower than the 10,740 cases recorded during the previous two-week period from Sept. 14 to Sept. 27.
Ready for surge
“What we’re saying here is that there is no reason to say that there is an outbreak because the data would show that. But we also don’t want to be complacent because we know that we’re in the middle of flu season so the cases may go up if we are not careful,” Domingo added.
According to him, the DOH is ready for a surge in ILI cases, saying this scenario is included in their surge capacity, with DOH hospitals allocating an additional 10 percent of bed capacity to accommodate patients.
At the same time, Domingo said that while the DOH has not mandated the use of face masks, anyone can wear one as a precautionary measure to protect themselves and their loved ones from sickness. However, he noted that the wearing of face masks is mandatory in hospitals to avoid contracting different kinds of diseases.
Citing a spike in influenza-like illnesses in the province, Quezon Gov. Angelina Tan has reinstated the mandatory wearing of face masks.
“Due to the increasing number of cases of illnesses such as colds, coughs, influenza-like illness, and severe respiratory infections like community-acquired pneumonia—and in accordance with Executive Order No. DHT-60—the wearing of face masks is hereby strictly mandated in all indoor settings, as well as in outdoor areas where physical distancing cannot be observed,” Tan, a medical doctor, said in a Facebook post on Oct. 19.
