Senate President Tito Sotto questioned the Department of Health’s (DOH) insistence to use face shields even if it has submitted to the Senate a report saying no other country in the world is mandating its use.
“Sinong genius ang nambola sa gobyerno?” Sotto said in a message to reporters.
The report submitted by the DOH said there are four countries and one state in the United States that implement face protection, but they do not make it mandatory for the entire population.
“It’s confirmed even from DOH records, no other country mandates the use of face shields on top of masks. It’s Either Or!” Sotto said.
The following is the content of the DOH report to the Senate:
China – shifting from masks to face shields (data from June 16, 2020)
South Korea – shifting from masks to face shields (data from June 16, 2020)
Malta – issued standards on the use of face masks OR visors/face shields in the community
State of Oregon (U.S.) – issued standards on the use of face masks, covering, OR face shields
United Kingdom – issued official advice that face shields (also known as visors) be worn by staff who work in close contact with members of the public, such as hairdressers, barbers, beauticians, tattoo artists and studio photographers
“So, saan o sinong expert may sabi na dapat sabay?” Sotto asked.
President Rodrigo Duterte ended the national debate on face shields on Monday maintaining that it should be worn at all times amid the Delta COVID-19 variant threat.
It was Sotto and other senators who announced that Duterte agreed that face shields would only be used in hospital settings.
The IATF, however, appealed the decision saying that face shields must be used in enclosed spaces and other areas.
