Manila eyes mandatory mask use at city hall

MANILA, Philippines — Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan is considering reinstating the mandatory use of face masks for employees and visitors at city hall amid the rise in COVID-19 cases in Manila.

“I might reinstate the mask mandate for employees at Manila city hall,” she said during her Facebook Live video on Thursday.

Some city hall offices have required employees to wear face masks at all times.

Other city hall employees give face masks to visitors upon entrance, the mayor said.

Lacuna-Pangan, a licensed physician, said she wanted to ensure that city hall employees and visitors who transact with them are protected from COVID-19.

She also called on the public to continue practicing minimum health protocols to prevent getting infected with COVID-19 like wearing a face mask, physical distancing and regular hand washing or hand disinfection.

She reported that out of 131 people who availed themselves of the city government’s free COVID-19 swab testing in the past two weeks, 32 of them turned out positive for COVID-19. It was equivalent to a two-week positivity rate of 24.43 percent.

As of noon yesterday, the city government registered a total of 213 active COVID cases. Tondo 1 had most of the cases with 45; Sampaloc, 41; Tondo 2, 25; Sta. Mesa, 23; Malate, 17; Sta. Cruz, 15, and Paco with 13.

Active cases were also recorded in Binondo with three, Ermita and Intramuros with two each, Pandacan with eight, Quiapo with one, San Andres with eight, San Miguel with one, San Nicolas with six and Sta. Ana with three.

Only Port Area did not have any active cases as of yesterday.