The President has spoken sternly in regards to wearing of face masks. Arrest violators.
That means, if one is not wearing a face mask in public, he is subject to arrest for violation of health protocols of this pandemic times.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, the man closest to the President, said whilst there is a need to instill discipline to people who still ignore health protocols and elected not to do the right thing, there is also an accompanying responsibility for authorities to show compassion to the poor and vulnerable sectors, by giving them time to comply with the necessary guidelines to keep communities safe from the threats of Covid-19.
Let’s face it, masks don’t come free and they need to be replaced too for hygienic purposes. Not everyone can afford to buy a mask, more so replace them with new ones when their hygienic qualities wither. It becomes impractical and unhealthy to wear dirty masks.
Hence, there must be some mitigating measures for the government to pursue full compliance of the protocols other than making arrests.
Senator Go has suggested giving out free masks which makes sense.
The government can allocate budget for face masks to be distributed or be made available at certain areas like sanitation check desks. Private companies like hospitals, restaurants, business establishments and hotels may also do their share for the community by giving free face masks.
Proper wearing of masks, coupled with face shields and social distancing, has been proven to further reduce the risk of contracting the virus to more than 90 percent.
