CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City and other areas affected by the coronavirus pandemic are set to receive today one million surgical masks in a bid to boost their efforts against COVID-19.
The masks were donated by business tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. and Kim Wong to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) on Wednesday.
The two also donated 2,000 raincoats, which will be distributed to the members of the Philippine National Police for protection during the rainy season.
OPAV Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, in a press release, said he earlier called his friend Wong to ask for help.
Dino said the bulk of surgical masks will be distributed to Cebu City barangays.
He reiterated the importance of wearing masks to prevent transmission of the virus.
In reverting Cebu City to the enhanced community quarantine status, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) noted that many Cebuanos in the streets did not wear masks and did not observe social distancing.
A group of researchers connected with different universities in the U.S. analyzed the trend and mitigation measures in the three areas – Wuhan, Italy and New York.
One of the researchers concluded that the wearing of face covering “significantly reduces the number of infections.” The finding was published in an article entitled “Identifying airborne transmission as the dominant route for the spread of Covid-19.”
Moreover, Dino reminded the local government units (LGUs) of President Rodrigo Duterte's directive on strict observance of the protocols set by the IATF-EID.
"To discipline the people, we are calling on the LGUs, especially the barangay captains to man their posts,” said Dino. KQD (FREEMAN)