Following the increase in COVID-19 cases in Manila, Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan is considering requiring the wearing of face masks for city hall staff and visitors.
"I might reinstate the mask mandate for employees at Manila City Hall," she stated on Thursday during a Facebook Live session.
Employees at several city hall offices have always been obliged to wear face masks.
According to the mayor, other city hall personnel provide face masks to visitors upon their arrival.
Lacuna-Pangan, a licensed physician, stated that she wants to protect city hall personnel and tourists who interact with them against COVID-19.
She also urged the public to maintain the following basic health precautions: wearing a face mask, physical separation, and regular hand washing or hand disinfection to avoid contracting COVID-19.
She revealed that 32 of the 131 people who used the local government's free COVID-19 swab testing in the last two weeks tested positive for COVID-19. It equated to a positive rate of 24.43 percent after two weeks.
The local government had 213 active COVID cases as of yesterday at lunchtime. Tondo 1 had the highest number of cases (45), Sampaloc had 41, Tondo 2 had 25, and Sta. Mesa (23), Malate (17), Sta. Cruz (15), and Paco (13).
Binondo had three active cases, Ermita and Intramuros had two each, Pandacan had eight, Quiapo had one, San Andres had eight, San Miguel had one, San Nicolas had six and Sta. Ana had three.
Only the Port Area had no current instances as of yesterday.
