Wear mask only when sick, immunocompromised – DOH-7

A block-long of people queuing to buy surgical masks in a pharmacy along Osmeña Boulevard, a day since DOH announced the first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV in the country. | Morexette Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines – There is no need to go panic buying for surgical masks as the first Wuhan Coronavirus case in the country has been recorded.

Doctor Jaime Bernadas, the director of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), said that the masks must be worn by those who have suspected cases of the coronavirus.

Those who have flu-like symptoms and fever should also wear the mask so as not to spread whatever communicable diseases they have whether it is coronavirus or not.

Immunocompromised persons such as those with severe diabetes, undergoing cancer treatments, severe hypertension, severe renal problems, and transplant patients will need to wear the mask because they are highly susceptible to communicable diseases including the Wuhan coronavirus.

“There is no need to panic. What we need to do is to be vigilant and to be healthy so we are not susceptible to the virus,” said Bernadas.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has requested the Department of Trade and Industries to investigate pharmacies allegedly selling overpriced face masks and practicing hoarding of the product.

People have been lining up at the pharmacies to buy face masks and many of the pharmacies in the city have declined customers because they are “out of stock.”

DTI representative, Dinah Gladys Oro, said that there is no shortage of face masks in Cebu City as supplies are coming in from Manila to increase the supply.

Still to avoid shortage, the pharmacies are urged to sell not by boxes but only by packs of threes or fives per customer. This way, the demand is controlled as well as the supply.

Councilor David Tumulak, the chairperson of the City Council’s committee on disaster risk reduction and management, warned pharmacies selling overpriced masks that they will be charged with violating the Consumer’s Act for overpricing and the Disaster Risk Reduction Law for hoarding.

Tumulak said the city has submitted seven pharmacies allegedly overpricing to the DTI for investigation.

“Atong giawhag atong pharmacies nga dili pahimuslan ang sitwasyon. (We urge the pharmacies not to take advantage of the situation),” he said. /bmjo