MANILA, Philippines — The municipal government of Pateros yesterday warned residents of arrest if they are caught outdoors without face masks or shields.
“When we see you not wearing a face mask or shield in public places, we will arrest you and bring you to our holding area,” Mayor Miguel Ponce III said.
The local government has approved an ordinance that penalizes non-wearing and improper wearing of face masks with P2,000 fine and 12 hours of detention.
Ponce said he ordered a strict implementation of health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 cases, especially the more infectious Delta variant.
“It takes weeks before the results of the genome sequencing are released to be able to determine if a COVID-positive patient carries the Delta variant,” Ponce said.
The municipal government also tightened its border control measures for people coming from neighboring cities, Ponce added.
The mayor said they would ramp up their COVID vaccination campaign.