President Duterte on Wednesday said Filipinos were no longer required to wear face shields when outdoors. (PCOO PHOTO)
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said Filipinos were no longer required to wear face shields when outdoors, and the requirement would only remain for “3Cs”: closed, crowded and close-contact areas.
“Ang limitasyon, ang face shields gamitin mo 3Cs: closed whatever facility, ospital o basta magkadikit-dikit; crowded, ganoon rin, it’s a crowded room tapos closed lahat, mas delikado; and saka ang close contact, kung magkadikit-dikit ang tao. So diyan applicable pa rin ang face shield,” he said in his Sept. 22 “Talk to the People” address.
Prior to his announcement, the government’s face shield policy had been confusing. In June, it was revealed that Duterte had removed the face shield policy for outdoors, only to retract it shortly after.
Duterte had stated that his decision to retain the face shield policy was to protect Filipinos from the Delta variant.
Face shields are sheets of clear plastic that cover the full length of an individual’s face until the chin.
The Philippine government made mandatory the wearing of face shields nationwide in December last year, nine months since the first community quarantine was imposed in the country.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, face shields are not effective in protecting an individual from respiratory droplets. John Ezekiel J. Hirro