Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire denounced lawyer Larry Gadon whose photo garnered attention on social media over the weekend for wearing his face mask the wrong way.
“This is not a joking matter,” Vergeire pointed out in an online media forum on Monday when asked to comment on the actions of Gadon, who just taped the face mask on the face shield to make it appear that he is wearing one.
Vergeire said that those persons who are known by the media and general public should know their role for they may give the public “a false sense of information.”
“Alam ng mga tao lahat, may mga namamatay, may mga nagkakasakit, nagsusuffer ang economy [People know it. There were those who died, there were those who got sick, our economy is suffering] and the only way to go, for you to fight this situation, for us to overcome this situation is tayo magtulong-tulungan [ for us to help each other],” Vergeire said.
Gadon said a face mask is only “for show” because he needs it to be able to enter stores. He also doubts its effectiveness.
Vergeire said these statements are “not helping us at all.”
Vergeire also lamented that there are healthcare workers (HCWs) who are already infected and even died in fighting Covid-19.
She expressed fear that if the public will follow Gadon, it will be the HCWs who will suffer.
“The healthcare workers are suffering already, they are getting sick, they are being quarantined, hospitals are having a hard time already,” the DOH official stressed.
She cited that it is already scientifically proven that behavioral changes can cut down the virus transmission by up to 96 percent by observing “physical distancing, wearing of face mask and face shield.
The Department of Health (DOH) said that according to recent studies, the wearing of masks reduces transmission by 96 percent for N95 masks and 67 percent for non-N95 masks, while the observance of physical distancing by one meter can reduce the chance of transmission by 82 percent with protection increasing as distance is lengthened.
Moreover, studies also showed that the use of face shields can be used complementary to face masks to further reduce transmission.
However, DOH emphasizes that face shields should not be used as substitutes for face masks and should only be used in addition to masks as added protection.
To achieve this, the DOH is urged the public to practice the “BIDA Solusyon sa COVID-19 Campaign” by regularly adopting the minimum health standards as a behavioral lifestyle as the country course through the new normal.
The acronym “BIDA” stands for the following: B stands for bawal and walang mask or not wearing of a mask is prohibited; I stands for i-sanitize ang mga kamay, iwas hawak sa mga bagay or always wash or sanitize and avoid touching things; D means dumistansya ng isang metro or maintain a distance of at least one meter; and A stands for alamin ang totoong impormasyon or know the correct information and updates about the pandemic.