Senator Grace Poe has asked the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to review its “unrealistic” policy mandating passengers and drivers to wear face masks inside their private cars.
Poe, who chairs the Senate committee on public services, said that a private car is similar to an extension of a family’s house that could be considered their “private bubble” as long as they are no strangers inside the vehicle.
Poe said that wearing of masks should only be mandated for public vehicles and carpooling but not for private vehicles and people who are from the same household.
“I ask the IATF to rethink its policy requiring occupants of a vehicle to wear anti-virus masks even if they are from the same household,” she said.
“This order is simply ludicrous and unrealistic,” she added.
Based on a joint statement from the Department of Health and Department of Transportation, only a driver traveling alone may remove his or her face mask while inside the vehicle.
The Land Transportation Office said that drivers without face masks with passengers can be considered reckless driving.
