Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force. (PNA file photo)
DAVAO CITY – The city’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) prevention and enforcement cluster has recorded 426 face mask violators from March 14 to 18 who have been required to pay appropriate fines.
This came about despite the city’s current Alert Level 1 status, in which restrictions have been eased.
In a statement Wednesday, Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said the public may have assumed that the wearing of face masks had been lifted after some information campaign signages on the minimum public health standards in the city were taken down.
Schlosser said the signages were probably removed because social distancing was lifted, but clarified that Executive Order 11 noted the wearing of face masks as mandatory.
“I would like to reiterate to Dabawenyos that only the social distancing protocol was lifted but the mandatory wearing of face mask remains. People might have thought that the non-wearing of face mask is okay since the signages were removed," Schlosser said.
She reiterated that individuals caught not wearing a face mask in public places will still be issued citation tickets.
Violators will get a PHP500 fine for the first offense; PHP2,000 for the second offense, and PHP5,000 or one-month imprisonment for the third offense.
Aside from requiring Dabawenyos to wear face masks in public places, the ordinance also requires all private and public establishments to put up signs such as ‘No Mask, No Entry’ inside their premises.
“You must continue to be vigilant, continue to wear face masks, and practice frequent handwashing to help contain Covid-19 transmission,” Schlosser said. (PNA)
