Face shields now optional for Alert Levels 3, 2, 1

Face shields shall now be merely optional for Filipinos in areas under Alert Levels 3, 2, or 1, the Office of the President said Monday.

A memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea states that President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases' (IATD) recommendation, which states the following protocols:

1. Face shields are mandatory in areas under Alert Level 5.

2. Local government units (LGUs) and private establishments are given discretion to mandate the use of face shields.

3. The use of face shields shall be voluntary in areas under Alert Levels 3, 2, and 1.

"The above protocols are without prejudice to the continuing mandatory use of face shields in medical and quarantine facility settings, and the required use thereof by healthcare workers in healthcare settings," the order qualified.

The Philippines is currently under a five-level coronavirus alert system which was first implemented in the National Capital Region.

READ: How the new COVID-19 alert levels and granular lockdowns work

Metro Manila is currently on Alert Level 2, which means that wearing face shields in the capital region is now each resident's choice, except in medical and quarantine settings.

The usefulness of face shields in lowering the risk of COVID-19 has been disputed by some medical experts and local government officials and championed by others. Malacañang had warned local officials not to lift the requirement while the national government still mandated their use. — BM, GMA News