The Department of Health (DOH) expressed readiness to make an appeal to President Duterte if ever the face shield policy will eventually be required only in hospitals.
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the matter regarding the face shield policy will be discussed by the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Thursday, June 17.
“Ia-appeal natin kung pwede ireconsider nya. Kasi yung pagkasabi ng Presidente, yung sa ospital, ay ginagawa naman yun sa hospital--yung face shield. Pero in other settings, magandang mapag-usapan ng IATF mamaya para magkaroon ng consensus (We will appeal if he can reconsider it. What the President said, it should continue in hospitals. But in other settings, it would be good for the IATF to discuss it later to reach a consensus),” said Duque in an interview on Thursday.
Duque said that a face shield is an added protection against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Maganda lang na merong karagdagang layer of protection. Kesa walang wala, kesa babawasan mo (It is better to have an additional layer of protection, than nothing or reduce it),” he said.
On Thursday morning, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that President Duterte has agreed that face shields should only be used in hospitals.
The DOH on Wednesday, June 16, citing the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2021-0001 on the Clarificatory Guidelines on the Mandatory Use of Face Shields Outside of Residence for COVID-19 Mitigation, said the wearing of face shield are required only in specific settings.
These include enclosed public spaces, schools, workplaces, commercial establishments such as but not limited to food establishments, malls, and public markets; public transport and terminals; places of worship, and other public spaces wherein one meter physical distancing is not possible and there is gathering of more than 10 people at the same venue at the same time.