The province of Iloilo lifted the mandatory use of face masks in open spaces.
Under Section 2 of Executive Order (EO) No. 260-G, wearing of face masks outdoors is no longer required.
The EO, which extended the COVID-19 Alert Level 1 status in the province, was signed by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. on Sept. 7.
Defensor cited the province’s low hospital utilization rate and the high accomplishment of vaccination as the basis for easing the face mask policy.
The province is currently under Alert Level 1, the least restrictive in the government’s five-tiered alert level system. It has 1,164 active cases as of Sept. 4
For vaccination, the province has reported an 87.64 percent rate for its primary series, or 1,281,057 of the 1,461,756 eligible population as of September 8.
Furthermore, 259,113 received their first booster dose, and 14,259, their second booster shot.
Those who are in closed or air-conditioned spaces and in public transportation by land, air or sea are still required to wear face masks.
Exceptions to the mandatory wearing of face masks indoors are when people are eating or drinking, participating in team and individual sports in venues where ventilation standards can be maintained, and practicing outdoor sports or exercise activities when physical distancing protocols can be observed.IMT
