THE Davao City Council has approved on suspended rules the amendment of the local ordinance on the wearing of face masks to be aligned with the provision under Presidential Executive Order No.3.
“The Ordinance 0307-20, series of 2020 as amended by Davao City, requiring the mandatory wearing of face masks at all times in public places became inconsistent with the provisions of the said order which allows the wearing of a face mask in open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas and thus, there is a need to amend it,” Councilor Luna S. Acosta, Chairperson of the committee on peace and public safety, said during the 15th regular session of the 20th Davao City Council.
Acosta said the Davao City Task Force has reported that the city has already achieved herd immunity following the vaccination efforts.
“There’s only a minimal number of cases of Covid-19 based on the record and the vaccination roll-out in the city is very active,” she said.
“Based on the foregoing, our city is well situated to take further leaps in easing the restriction against Covid-19 in an attempt to slowly resume our normal life before the pandemic,” Acosta added.
On September 21, 2022, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte adopted Presidential Executive Order No. 03 through Executive Order (EO) No. 43-2022 which allows Dabawenyos to voluntarily wear face masks in outdoor settings.
Meanwhile, Acosta said the amendment of the city ordinance will allow the city to be what it was pre-pandemic.
However, Acosta emphasized that Dabawenyos are still required to wear a face mask if they are in crowded places, which refers “to a place whether indoor, outdoor, moving or stationary where five or more persons cannot maintain physical distancing of at least one meter apart.”
She added that people who are not fully vaccinated, senior citizens, immunocompromised individuals, and if they show symptoms of Covid-19 are advised to wear the face mask. KSD