IATF Recommends Lifting of the Mask Mandate

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) issued a resolution last September 5, 2022 recommending the lifting of the mask mandate.

 

Citing its authority under Section 2(c) of Executive Order No. 168, series of 2014, to prevent and/or minimize the local spread of emerging infectious diseases, the IATF recommends the issuance by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. of an executive order making the wearing of masks voluntary across the whole country. This recommendation takes into consideration the fact that majority of provinces, cities, and municipalities are under Alert Level I, and that many neighboring ASEAN countries have also begun liberalizing mask mandates.

 

Mask-wearing is recommended to be optional in open spaces, outdoor areas, and non-crowded spaces with good ventilation. Meanwhile, the lifting of indoor mask mandates is yet to be pilot-tested, as the IATF awaits improvement in the COVID-19 booster vaccination coverage.

 

Read the full resolution here.