MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has reiterated its earlier advisory that healthy people do not need to use face masks, as several stores reported a shortage in supply of the medical item.

In an advisory signed by Health Sec. Francisco Duque III on Saturday, February 8, the DOH said the public is enjoined to “judiciously use masks to prevent the shortage of surgical masks and N95 masks” after it confirmed three cases of the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) in the country.

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“People in good health do not need to use face masks,” the advisory read.

According to DOH, the use of surgical face masks is only recommended for persons caring for the sick, those with respiratory infection or with symptoms like cough, colds, or fever, and for healthcare workers and other frontline workers, including police officers helping in contact tracing and immigration officers.

N95 masks must be reserved for healthcare and other frontline workers who are attending to patients with respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms or patients under investigation (PUIs).

It should also be reserved to those entering rooms of PUIs or confirmed nCoV patients to provide care or disinfect the rooms or obtain clinical specimens, as well as those handling clinical specimens and soiled medical supplies or equipment.

There have been 910 deaths due to the virus as of Sunday, all recorded in mainland China, where the virus broke out, besides the two fatalities in the Philippines and Hong Kong.

More than 40,000 individuals have been affected by the outbreak globally, mostly in China.

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