By Alec Go
President Rodrigo Duterte said in a meeting with Senate President Vicente Sotto III and other officials that face shields can be worn in hospital settings only, Malacaῆang confirmed on Thursday (June 17).
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he has yet to raise the matter during the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) today.
“I can only confirm what Senate President Tito Sotto and what Senator Joel Villanueva said earlier that the President did say that the wearing of a face shield should only be in hospitals,” he said.
“The IATF is recommendatory to the President, and when the President has decided, then that’s the policy. This is without prejudice to IATF appealing possible,” he added.
Sotto called the attention of the Department of Health (DOH) in a tweet earlier today, saying that the “President agreed that face shields should only be used in hospitals.”
During the Laging Handa public briefing on June 16, DOH Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said that face shields can be removed in outdoor settings where transmission is low.
“Pero kapag nasa outside naman, kasi alam naman natin ang risk of transmission is very low, at lalung-lalo na kapag naglalakad ka lang sa kalye o kaya nagtatrabaho kasi mag-a-affect iyong moist nito… pwede ninyo hong tanggalin iyan,” Vega said.
This is in accordance with a directive of the DOH that exempts “individuals engaged in strenuous activities/work, fine workmanship, operation of transportation vehicles, and active transport” from wearing a face shield.
According to Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Santo Tomas, said it is up to the government to decide whether the 9% additional protection from face shields “is worth the sacrifice.”
“The idea is it’s an additional 9% [protection]. When you’re outside, the additional 9% might not be as important. But when you’re inside, especially in a crowded space, the additional 9% may be important,” he said. -rir
