‘NON-NEGOTIABLE’

Duque, Año: One-meter distance in mass transport better at preventing spread of virus

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año maintained on Wednesday that a one-meter distance in mass transport vehicles is better in preventing the the spread of the coronavirus.

At a press conference in Camp Crame, the Cabinet officials stressed that the one-meter distance is based on science and that it is in accordance with the protocol of the World Health Organization.

At a press conference in Camp Crame, Año said he believes the one-meter distance is "non-negotiable."

"Puwede nating buksan ang ekonomiya para naman lumago, pero para sa akin non-negotiable ang minimum health standard na one-meter distance sapagkat 'yan ay base sa siyensiya, base 'yan sa pag-aaral ng mga dalubhasa..." he said.

For his part, Duque explained that when it comes to physical distancing, "the farther you go, the more effective the risk reduction and the better the protection made" against COVID-19.

"In one-meter distance, you are going to reduce the risk of getting the virus or transferring or contaminating someone by 81% and at two meters distancing, that can go all the way up to 91% and in fact, three meters, 96%," Duque said.

"So siyempre hahaluan din natin 'yan ng face masks and face shields at talagang tataas po ang rate of protection," he added.

Earlier in the day, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte may decide on Thursday the fate of the controversial policy to gradually reduce the physical distance between passengers inside public transportation.

"I think the President will decide no later than tomorrow," Roque said in an interview with CNN-Philippines. "Until the President revokes it, I think it will be implemented."

Roque said the IATF listened to the arguments of some medical experts, including former Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit and Dr. Antonio Dans of the Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19. 

Duque and Año declined to provide details of their recommendation as they do not want to preempt the President's decision.

On Monday, the Department of Transportation reduced the current one-meter distance among commuters to 0.75. The agency said it could further be reduced to 0.5 meters after two weeks, and to 0.3 meters after another two weeks. 

Duque and Año said it was only on Tuesday that they saw the operational guidelines of the DOTr. — RSJ, GMA News