The Department of Health (DOH) Monday said it is open to a compromise with Cebu City over its face mask policy.

In a press conference, DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said: ''Our position would be: we have some conditions for us to be able to ease some restrictions."

"We will conduct discussions so that we can reach a compromise with the national agencies, and we can also balance health and economy," she said after a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force.

But if it were up to the DOH, Vergeire said they would stick to scientific evidence.

"Based on science, the face mask provides 70 to 80 percent protection against COVID-19," she said.

Vergeire said if vaccine coverage increases and number of COVID-19 cases are stable, the DOH ''will get to that point'' of easing protocols and restrictions.

"If such conditions of increased vaccine coverage, stable number of cases, will be met, we will get to that point. (But) we will do this in a phased approach. We will not be hasty," said Vergeire. DMS