The Valenzuela City Council has passed an ordinance making the wearing of face shields mandatory in workplaces in the city.
Ordinance No. 770 Series of 2020 or the "Wear Your Face Shield Ordinance of Valenzuela City" now requires all employees of public and private offices or establishments in the city to wear face shields during work hours and inside their workplaces.
The passing of the ordinance came after Mayor Rex Gatchalian urged the council to come up with a measure “to prevent the transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the workplace which may further lead to a citywide spread of contagion.”
Only those employees of offices or establishments where acrylic barriers have already been installed between work stations are exempted from wearing face shields, the ordinance said.
Adhering to the guidelines set by the national government, the local government said face shields must cover the entire face and should not be a visor-type.
“Face shields and masks should always be worn together when interacting with colleagues, clients, and/or visitors,” the local government said.
“Lastly, face shields may only be removed according to the demands of the work or when the occupational safety and health of the employees so require,” it added.
Individuals who will be caught not following the ordinance will be charged with P1,000 fine or a 24-hour community service on their first offense.
Meanwhile, a P3,000 fine or 46 hours of community service and a P5,000 fine or 72 hours of community service await those second and third offenders, respectively.