Palace: Face shield policy based on science, not business interests

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque maintained on Thursday that the mandatory use of face shields when outside one's residence is for safety and not to serve business interests.

“I don’t know of any 'raket' involving face shields. I understand that wearing one could be difficult; I wear glasses, and when I wear a face shield they fog up, but we have to believe the science,” he said in mixed Filipino and English.

Roque claimed that the Lancet journal, which is highly respected in the medical field, attests to the added protection that the face shield provides against COVID-19 transmission.

“Lancet published a study showing wearing a face shield helps in reducing COVID-19 infection. Suma total, with face shield, face mask, at [social] distancing, 97% talaga ang protection,” Roque added.

[A face shield with face mask and social distancing could give as much as 97% protection.]

President Rodrigo Duterte ultimately declared on Monday that face shields are mandatory in public, but only after a week of various government officials' saying different things as to whether wearing a face shield is mandatory or otherwise, or it should only be worn under hospital setting. 

Roque, however, said such “flip-flopping” position is not an issue since the country has to adapt to emerging variants to coronavirus like the Delta variant which is more transmissible. 

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who has been critical of the government's changing policies on the issue, has sought a Senate probe into the government's decision to mandate face shields. — BM, GMA News