ONLY IN HOSPITALS

Palace: Duterte statement on face shield use considered policy

President Rodrigo Duterte's statement requiring the wearing of face shields  on top of face masks only in hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic is considered policy, Malacañang said Thursday.

“I can confirm what Senate President [Vicente] Sotto and Senator [Joel] Villanueva said that the President did say that the wearing of face shield should only be in hospitals,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said during a Palace briefing.

“When the President has decided, that is the policy,” he added.

Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the government's policy-making body in the COVID-19 response, can appeal the President's decision, Roque said.

“The President announced a new policy but this is without prejudice to the IATF appealing the decision of the President,” he said.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles earlier in the day said the IATF will decide on the matter during a meeting on Thursday afternoon. 

Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega earlier said face shields need not be worn on top of face masks when outdoors because there is less risk of being infected with COVID-19.

DOH to appeal

Before Roque's press briefing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Department of Health (DOH) will make an appeal if Duterte decides to only require the use of face shields in hospitals.

Interviewed by GMA News' Joseph Morong, Duque reiterated that it is not yet time to drop the use of face shields as the country’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage remains low.

“Any layer of protection is better than less protection,” he said.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Sotto said Duterte, during a Wednesday night conversation in Malacañang, agreed that face shields must only be worn in hospitals

Senators Joel Villanueva and Juan Miguel Zubiri confirmed their conversation with the President on Wednesday night, but said it was merely “off the cuff” and not an official discussion.

Joint Memorandum Circular 2021-0001 states that face shields are required to be worn in the following areas:

• Enclosed public spaces
• Schools
• Workplaces
• Commercial establishments
• Public transport and terminals
• Places of worship

Other public spaces wherein one-meter physical distancing is not possible and there is gathering of more than 10 people at the same venue at the same time.

Face shield adds 9% protection

For OCTA Research fellow Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, wearing face shields on top of face masks would add nine percent protection against coronavirus disease.

The priest-scientist also noted that face shields could help add more protection in areas where there is a spike in COVID-19 cases.

"In high risk areas where there is a surge the additional 9% may be important. But in Metro Manila for example if you are outside and there's no one around, I think it is reasonable to say lowering the risk by 9% may be something we can tolerate," said Autriaco in a Palace briefing.

Nevertheless, Austriaco said he "defers" the decision on the use of face shields to the government.--With a report from Consuelo Marquez/KBK/LDF, GMA News