DOH backs Duterte's move to keep one-meter distancing inside PUVs

The Department of Health on Saturday expressed support for President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to maintain the one-meter physical distancing policy inside mass public transport vehicles.

Interviewed at the Laging Handa public briefing, DOH spokesperson undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the protocol was based on the "minimum health standards."

"Kapag ikaw ay nagsuot ng mask, you can have about 67-percent protection from being infected. Kapag nagsuot ka ng face shield nadadagdagan pa ng porsyento para ikaw ay maprotektahan. Kapag sinamahan mo pa ng physical distancing itong dalawang minimum health standards, tumataas hanggang 99 percent ang proteksyon mo sa virus na ito," Vergeire said, citing international and local studies.

"Ito po ang amin pong hanggang ngayon ay sinasabi sa mga mamamayan, we comply with minimum health standards pero hindi puwedeng paisa-isa, kailangan magkakasama lahat 'yan," she added.

"Mananatili po ang one-meter distancing sa pampublikong transportasyon," Palace spokesperson Harry Roque announced on government-run PTV4 on Saturday.

"Sasamahan din ng pagsuot ng face mask at face shield... Bawal po ang salita, bawal ang pagkain sa mga pampublikong transportasyon," he added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it will comply with the President's directive.

The one-meter physical distancing policy in public transportation implemented earlier was reduced to 0.75 meter last week. —LBG, GMA News