The interior department on Monday gave fresh support to health experts' call for the public to wear anti-virus masks at even at their homes, to curb the increasing cases of COVID-19.

COVID-19 infections are spreading within families, and not just among colleagues at workplaces, said Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya.

“Kung hindi po tayo sigurado na tayo’y hindi COVID-free, galing tayo sa labas, hindi tayo sigurado kung tayo’y walang COVID… pagdating sa bahay ay mag-face mask tayo,” he said in a televised public briefing.

(If we are not sure that we are COVID-free, we were outside, let us wear a face mask at home.)

He also urged the public to change clothes, take a bath, and make sure that they have no COVID-19 symptoms before interacting with members of their household.

The health department as far back as August last year had urged Filipinos to wear anti-virus masks even inside their homes.

Over the weekend, the agency reported close to 10,000 new coronavirus infections.

The Philippines on Monday recorded 5,404 COVID-19 cases, the fourth highest reported in a day since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, bringing the total number of cases to 626,893.

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