
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a recommendation to end the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors across the country more than two years after it was imposed at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, top officials said Wednesday.
The Philippines and Myanmar are the last countries in Southeast Asia to ease the compulsory wearing of masks outdoors, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said. A study showed the lifting of the mandatory requirement in other countries has not led to an alarming upsurge in infections when people continue to take precautions, he said.