DILG orders PNP to strictly enforce wearing of face shields

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed the Philippine National Police to strictly enforce the requirement of wearing face shields amid poor compliance among the public.

Citing data from the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF), DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the use of face masks is at 91% while the use of face shields is only at 32%.

“According to the medical experts, the combined population effectiveness of both the face masks and face shields is only at 26% instead of 80% if use was more prevalent,” Malaya said in a statement Tuesday.

“Therefore, we have to increase the use of face shields to get the maximum protection at this time of the surge,” he added.

Force multipliers will be mobilized in the barangays to enforce health protocols.

Malaya said it is a challenge promoting the use of face masks at home amid the reports of more COVID-19 transmission within a family.

Due to this, Malaya also discouraged the public to accept visitors from outside the immediate family or household.

From August 20 to March 20, the PNP has reported 1,503,273 violations of minimum health protocols nationwide, the spokesperson said.

Of the total number, at least 671,104 or 44.6% are violations for not wearing face masks and face shields, while 430,773 or 28.7% were wearing face masks but had no face shields. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA News