Cebu City is making face masks "non-obligatory", the first major urban center in the country to remove the pandemic restriction, its mayor said Wednesday.
Wearing of face masks, a minimum COVID-19 safety protocol in the Philippines, should be "a measure of individual self-preservation and protection," said Mayor Michael Rama, citing the cost and the "biopsychosocial and spiritual" toll of wearing them.
READ: DOH: Face Masks Must be Required Until End of 2022
Under Rama's executive order, face masks are no longer mandatory in open spaces.
Establishments and businesses are also given discretion to determine whether or not face masks should be worn in their premises.
Wearing of face masks will remain mandatory for immunocompromised persons or those who are sick and exhibit flu-like symptoms. It will also be required in hospitals, clinics, and other medical or diagnostic facilities in the city.
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