President Rodrigo Duterte recently approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to lift the mandatory use of face shields in many areas in the country. 

With this, areas under Alert Level 1 to 3 across the country can now ditch face shields. 

“Ang decision ko is okay, tanggalin nyo na yung [face] shields. Pwede na ninyong (My decision is okay, you can remove face shields. You can), you dispense with the shields but not the (face) mask,” Duterte said in his prerecorded Talk to the People.

The president, however, said face mask would remain part of the day-to-day safety measure “kasi matagal pa itong virus na nasa hangin lang (because the virus which is airborne will be here for a long time).”

He then urged the public to make sure that the COVID-19 positivity rate in the country will remain low by following the health and safety protocols.

“You have to obey what the government will tell you to do because it’s for the good of the country and for you. Sumunod lang kayo (Just obey),” he said.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea issued a memorandum on Monday, November 15, detailing the voluntary use of face shields in places with a relatively low COVID-19 alert level.

According to the memorandum, the use of face shields in community settings shall remain mandatory in areas under Alert Level 5 and granular lockdowns. 

Meanwhile, discretion is given to local government units and private establishments under Alert Level 4 to maintain or remove the wearing of face shields policy.

The Philippines is one of the few countries in the world to strictly require the plastic barrier against COVID-19 for more than a year.

– WhatALife.ph

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