Wearing of face masks, shields at home encouraged: DOH

FILE: A vendor sells face masks along Anonas Street in Quezon City on Wednesday (March 25, 2020). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said family members may wear face masks and shields at home to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the household.

In a message to reporters, the DOH said wearing of face masks and shields is advised if a household has either of the two conditions – there is a person who is infected with Covid-19 and there are family members who are part of the vulnerable population such as senior citizens, pregnant women, and immunocompromised.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año also encouraged persons to observe these health and safety protocols at home especially if physical distancing among family members is not possible.

With regard to physical distancing at home, DOH Health Promotion and Communication Service Dir. Beverly Ho said it must be practiced together with other minimum health standards such as hand sanitation and wearing of face masks.

“The interventions should come in as a package because the protective effects are additive – you cannot just do one. On top of this, alamin ang totoo (know the facts) to always make sure you’re properly informed,” Ho added.

To date, there are 129,913 confirmed cases, 67,673 recoveries, and 2,270 deaths related to Covid-19 nationwide.