The Department of Health, or DoH, on Saturday urged senior citizens and people with comorbidities to wear masks as a safeguard against COVID-19 and influenza cases, which are perceived to increase during the holiday season.

DoH spokesperson Eric Tayag advised vulnerable groups to stay at home and practice additional caution following the uptick in Covid cases in the Philippines and the threat of mycoplasma pneumonia infection or "walking pneumonia."

"Reminder from our secretary that for our senior citizens, pregnant women, and our compatriots who already have maintenance, [avoid] going out, especially [in] public transportation," Tayag said.

"Wearing a mask is a simple thing that can give you the benefit of not catching or getting infected. Please check if you are vaccinated not only against COVID-19 but also against influenza," Tayag added.

'Walking pneumonia' lingers

On Wednesday, the DoH logged four "walking pneumonia" among recorded influenza-like illnesses as of 25 November.

The confirmed cases were reported in January, July and September.

The DoH, however, ensured that all the patients had recovered from the infection.

In October, Marcos lifted a mask-wearing mandate that had been in place since 2020 through Executive Order 7, just over a month after making masks optional in uncrowded outdoor settings.

Earlier in July, the President lifted the state of public health emergency that had previously been declared throughout the country owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed thousands of lives through Proclamation 297. Edjen Oliquino