An infectious disease expert urged passengers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) to wear face masks to decrease their risk of getting infected with the Covid-19 virus.
Health expert Dr. Rontgene Solante expressed concern following the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board's (LTFRB) decision to allow standing passengers in Public Utility Buses (PUBs) and Modern Public Utility Jeepneys (MPUJ) in areas under Alert Level 1.
“That will always be a problem because nandoon ka sa loob na siksikan and wala na tayong distance na mataas. Tapos meron kang isa na inuubo o sinisipon lang (you are in a crowded space and there is not much distancing. If someone coughs or has a cold) and especially some of them are not wearing the face mask, talagang may magkakahawaan diyan (definitely, there will be a transmission),” he said during an interview with CNN Philippines on Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Solante emphasized the importance of wearing face masks inside PUVs to protect themselves against Covid-19.
“You just have to wear the face mask, you have to protect yourself, parang kanya-kanya na para hindi tayo mahawaan (you have to take care of yourself to avoid getting infected) ,” he said.
Based on LTFRBs Memorandum Circular No. 2022-070, it allows standing passengers in PUBs and MPUJs subject to the following conditions:
- For low entry/low floor PUBs, only a maximum of 15 standing passengers are allowed, at least one person apart.
- For coach-type PUBs, only a maximum of 10 standing passengers are allowed, at least one person apart.
- For MPUJs-Class 2, only five standing passengers are allowed, at least one person apart.
“Imposed existing policies on minimum public health protocols inside PUVs shall be strictly observed at all times,” the LTFRB said.
“Failure to comply with this MC shall be considered as a violation of the terms and conditions of their CPC (Certificate of Public Convenience), and appropriate penalties shall be imposed against the operator under the provisions of Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01,” it added.