DOH to present recommendation on face shield use to IATF on Thursday, urges LGUs to wait

The Department of Health (DOH) will be presenting to the national government its recommendation regarding whether or not to lift the mandatory use face shields amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday.

In an online press briefing on Monday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH, in coordination with experts, is currently reviewing the policy on face shield use.

“We have committed to the IATF that by Thursday we will be presenting to them an updated recommendation for the use of face shield,” she said.

IAFT refers to the  Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the government's policy-making body in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pending the final decision by the IATF, Vergeire urged local government units to hold, for the meantime, their order and issuances on making the wearing of face shields optional.

“We urged all local governments to hold their executive orders or issuances so that we can be all uniform in our implementation and we are all aligned,” she said.

On Monday, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos said mayors in the National Capital Region have agreed to make the wearing of face shields optional.

Abalos added that they want to keep mandatory the wearing of face shields in hospitals, health centers, and public transportation.

Before this, the cities of Davao, Manila and Iloilo have decided to scrap the use of face shields outside medical facilities. —KBK, GMA News