THE optional wearing of face masks in open spaces is not seen to cause an increase in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the country, an expert said, citing Cebu City’s Covid situation.In a Laging Handa public briefing, Octa Research fellow Dr. Guido David said on Friday, September 16, 2022, that Cebu City’s Covid-19 cases continue to decrease despite allowing people to go maskless in public places.“Kung masusunod ang executive order na sa open spaces lang (pwede hindi magsuot ng face masks), tingin natin hindi naman magiging malaki ang epekto nito,” he said.(If we strictly follow the executive order that the optional wearing of face masks is only allowed in open spaces, we think this will not have a significant effect.)“Sa Cebu, pababa pa rin ang bilang ng kaso although optional na ang face mask sa Cebu at marami nang hindi nagsusuot ng face masks outdoors. So ibig sabihin, hindi ito ‘yung magiging sanhi, if ever, ng pagtaas ng bilang ng kaso,” he added.(In Cebu, the number of cases is still going down despite the wearing of face masks being optional and a lot of people are no longer wearing them outdoors. This means that this is not the cause if ever there is an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.)David was referring to Executive Order No. 3 signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that allows the voluntary wearing of face masks in “open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation” across the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Elderlies, immunocompromised individuals and those who have not yet completed their Covid-19 vaccination are “highly encouraged” to continue wearing their face masks in all public areas to ensure their protection, the EO also said.A week before Marcos approved and released the EO, the Cebu City local government ordered the optional wearing of face masks in all areas, whether open or not within their jurisdiction.David said the increase in the mobility of people including the resumption of face-to-face classes remains to be a big factor that may affect an increase in Covid-19 cases in the country.’Slight increase’Currently, David said that a slight increase in cases in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Pangasinan are being monitored.He said the increase in cases is “clustering,” noting that the trend in the Visayas and Mindanao is downward.David said the positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) climbed to 14.5 percent, as of September 14, from 12.7 percent on September 7.“The previous peak in positivity rate in the NCR during this wave was 17.5 percent on August 5. There is a possibility that this current resurgence will exceed this number,” David said in a separate statement.He said the reproduction number in the NCR rose to 1.14 from 1.03 during the week prior while the average daily attack rate increased to 6.12 per 100,000 population or under moderate risk classification.David, however, said that the increase in Covid-19 statistics in Metro Manila is “not a cause of concern” as the healthcare utilization rate remains low.It is, however, important to inform the people about the increase so they can “act accordingly” and protect themselves, he said.SurveyIn a survey they conducted, David said it showed that 60 to 70 percent of respondents said they will continue to wear face masks despite the government’s move to make it optional in open spaces.“Alam na nating protektahan ang sarili natin, at kung kakailanganin natin magsuot ng face mask, hindi kailangan dapat iutos ‘yan para tayo mismo magsusuot tayo ng face mask,” he said.(We already know how to protect ourselves and if we are needed to wear face masks, we are willing to do so.)“Malaking aspect dito ‘yan, [ang] personal responsibility, and I think tanggap naman ‘yan ng mga kababayan natin,” he added.(Personal responsibility is a huge aspect and I think people have already accepted that.) (SunStar Philippines)