The Department of Health on Saturday advised vaccinated individuals to continue wearing face masks.
Health Undersecretary Maria Vergeire said there was not enough evidence that vaccinated individuals could no longer catch the virus or infect others.
“Lagi naman tayo nag babalanse between the health and the economy. Pero ngayon po ang siyensya at saka ang ebidensya [ay] hindi pa po sapat para makapagbigay tayo ng ganitong rekomendasyon galing sa Kagawaran ng Kalusugan,” she said during a news briefing.
On Friday, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion and some private sector groups pushed for the use of vaccination passes for those inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine, to allow their entry into indoor establishments such as restaurants.
Concepcion said these vaccination passes would encourage the population to get vaccinated.
Vergeire said a lot of factors needed to be considered before inoculated individuals would be allowed to go out without a mask.
She also stressed that the Philippines should not be compared with other countries such as the US, which has more vaccinated individuals.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday, May 13 new protocols allowing fully vaccinated individuals to participate in both indoor and outdoor activities without wearing a mask or physical distancing.
As of May 13, the Philippines has administered a total of 2,623,093 Covid-19 vaccines nationwide, according to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. Charlene Grace Lao