The Department of Health and Interior Department maintained that the wearing of mandatory face shields will stay for now.
The decision came following the suggestion of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno to reconsider and rethink the policy of requiring face shields in public places.
“Hindi pa pwedeng tanggalin ang face shield policy for now when our two-dose vaccination coverage is a little over 2% due to still inadequate vaccine supply,” Duque said in a statement.
Duque added that there are studies there have also been studies that showed face shield together with masks and physical distancing have provided “greater than 95% protection”.
“Ang face shield ay dapat ipatigil nang i-require sa general population at gamitin na lamang sa ospital upang makabawas sa gastusin at intindihin ng taumbayan,” Moreno earlier said in a Facebook post.
The Interior Department, meanwhile, is also standing by the current policy to require face shields.
“Kung tatanungin kami sa DILG, hindi pa po siguro panahon para tanggalin ang face shield dahil hindi pa po tayo nakakalabas dito sa pandemya… Kung tatanggalin natin ‘yan, dapat may kapalit,”DILG Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said.
The Inter-Agency Task Force would also meet and discuss Moreno’s suggestion.
“We will be guided by science in all our decisions,” Malaya said.
Health reform advocate Tony Leachon also says that it’s not yet righ to remove the added layer of protection provided by face shields.
