Passengers may opt not to wear face shields inside public transportation following the government's decision not to require its use in areas under Alerts Level 1 to 3, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced.
"In line with the directive issued by the IATF, which was also approved by the Palace, wearing of face shields in areas, where Alerts Level 1, 2, and 3 are in place, is no longer mandatory. It will be voluntary," Transportation Undersecretary Artemio Tuazon Jr. said.
President Duterte on Monday, Nov. 15, said he has approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to lift the mandatory wearing of face shields in almost all areas in the country.
With this, the DOTr and its attached agencies said the following protocols will also be implemented in public transportation beginning Nov. 16:
• For areas under Alert Level 5 and granular lockdowns, the use of face shields in community settings shall be mandatory;
• For areas under Alert Level 4, local government units (LGUs) and private establishments are given the discretion to mandate the use of face shields; and
• For areas under Alert Levels 3, 2, and 1, the use of face shields shall be voluntary.
Despite the lifting of the mandatory use of face shields, the DOTr reminded commuters that wearing of face masks will still be required.
The Department also noted that other stringent preventive measures remain in effect to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in all public transport facilities, especially as passenger capacity in public utility vehicles (PUVs) has been increased to 70 percent.
These include the strict enforcement of social distancing measure, frequent sanitation, and the "no talking and no eating policy" inside PUVs.