Over 6T nabbed for mask 

rules violations in Bohol

CORTES, Bohol, Jan. 23 (PIA) -- Data from the Bohol Inter Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious (IATF-EID) Disease Daily COVID tracker infographics show that from three cases of local transmissions on Jan. 15, 2021, it skyrocketed to 18 a week later, on Jan. 23, 2021.

The 600 percent increase in local transmissions is even compounded with the seemingly increasing number of Boholanos who are not complying with the health and safety protocols against the spread of COVID-19.

Considered to be the among the best non-pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) that people and communities can follow to help slow the spread of illnesses, the wearing of face masks is among the community mitigation strategies identified to stop COVID-19 in its tracks.

From the Camp Francisco Dagohoy’s crime tracking system, records show that in the 291 days since Bohol implemented the community quarantine, some 6,412 Boholanos have been apprehended for violation of Executive Order No. 15, the local policy on the mandatory use of face masks outside the home.

In the Camp Dagohoy report delivered by Police Major Norman Nuez, he showed that of the 6,412 accumulated cases of face masks violations, police authorities nabbed 2,231 of them between October to December of last year.

The biggest apprehensions recorded here for face mask violations were 1,396 in June 2020 and 965 in May 2020.

While there is a noted decrease in apprehensions on the observance of the provincewide 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew as stated in E.O. 13 and for senior citizens above 65 and minos below 18 as mandated by E.O. 16, the number of violators apprehended for not wearing face masks in public did not decrease, unlike other measures that Bohol implemented to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19.

For social distancing, from an all-time high of 5,192 apprehensions in June 2020, the figures dipped to 687 in December 2020.

Violations of the liquor ban under E.O. 17 and the implementation of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) guidelines in the pandemic also dropped from 194 in April 2020 to 15 in December 2020.

Apprehensions involving violations of the DOTr guidelines also went down from 1,476 in July 2020 to 147 in December 2020.

According to the World Health Organization, face masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives, even if its use alone is not sufficient to provide an adequate level of protection against COVID-19.

Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap has issued E.O 15 mandating the use of face masks by anyone who steps out of their homes.

The Department of Health has reminded the public that aside from wearing face masks properly, other precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19 should also be observed such as physical distancing, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, observing proper hygiene by frequently washing hands. (rahc/PIA7)

WEAR YOUR MASK. Even if biking has been qualified as a strenuous activity and wearing a mask could impede the biker's proper breathing, Municipio Inabanga in Bohol insists bikers should wear one during group rides and even in solo rides as a safety precation against the spread of COVID-19. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

BETTER ERR ON THE SAFE SIDE. Members of the Calape contact tracing team during a training organized by the PIA Bohol. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol file photo)