EDITORIAL — Do whatever it takes

Just when we thought we were in the clear it seems COVID-19 cases are on the rise again.

According to a report in Philstar.com the Department of Health reported 4,456 new infections in the past week, while an average of 637 cases were recorded from April 24 to 30. The latest figure is 42% higher than the average number of infections recorded from April 17 to 23.

The same report states that 22 of the new cases are severe and critical.

Now there are calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reinstate the mask mandate as a preventive measure.

“Although the rate of increase is becoming huge, our baseline is just low, so hopefully... We’re still going to be able to do it... So we’ll look at it. Let us see if there is guidance from the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases), if there is guidance from the DOH... I hope we don’t have to, but we might, but I hope not,” the president told reporters on board his flight to the US last Sunday.

If the mask mandate needs to be brought back, then so be it.

The mask is such a small inconvenience, such a small price to pay not just for peace of mind but also the possibility that we are protecting ourselves and others from getting or spreading the coronavirus.

In a world that is recovering from the coronavirus --not to mention sick and tired of it already-- complacency can become more dangerous than the virus itself. People tend to forget or even not care that risky behavior can still expose them to danger, and it is often those who think they can't catch it, get sick, and spread it who do.

It is worth mentioning that there are people who have not stopped wearing masks in public. It is good that they are still conscious of a worst-case scenario. It also shows that the mask has become part of the lives of many and they can no longer see themselves without it, at least in public.

We must do whatever it takes to avoid the chance, any chance, of the coronavirus running rampant again.