Mask mandate in Cebu schools stays – DepEd

CEBU, Philippines — Students in Cebu City and the rest of Central Visayas are still required to wear face masks, the Department of Education (DepEd)-Central Visayas office announced yesterday.

DepEd regional director Salustiano Jimenez thanked Cebu Mayor Michael Rama for allowing the department to exercise its discretion on the wearing of face masks even though the city government had eased the mask mandate.

The use of face masks is no longer mandatory in Cebu City under Executive Order No. 5, which Rama issued last week.

On Monday, he issued EO 6, which sets a ”trial period” of Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 to relax the mask rule.

The EO states that wearing of masks will be mandatory again in the event of a surge in COVID cases.

Jimenez said students should continue to wear face masks in schools to give parents a sense of security, noting that even unvaccinated students and teachers are allowed to participate in face-to-face classes.

“Since it has been our protocol and we don’t want to scare our parents and learners, we have to continue observing these protocols,” he said.

Jimenez said no new COVID infection has been recorded among teachers, learners and non-teaching personnel in Central Visayas since the start of in-person classes this school year. He said only 11 percent of over two million students have been fully vaccinated.

“Face masking can prevent not only COVID, but other viruses as well,” he said.

Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said she is encouraging the continued use of face masks despite the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases for its voluntary use outdoors.

She said children are among those considered as members of the vulnerable sector.

Vergeire said children may opt not to use face masks outdoors, especially if it is not crowded. – The Freeman