Duque: Face shields vs. COVID-19 should be used in 3Cs areas

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday said he preferred the risk-based use of face shields, where it will only be voluntary in areas under alert level 2 and mandatory in areas under higher alert levels.

At the Laging Handa briefing, Duque indicated that the use of face shields may be made mandatory in closed spaces, crowded areas, and close-contact settings or the 3Cs.

“Ito ang personal. I have to qualify, no? Pwede gawing voluntary under certain circumstances. Siguro under alert level 2 pero ‘yung mga 3Cs kinakailangan pa rin tayo mag face shield diyan,” Duque said.

[This is personal. I have to qualify. We can make it voluntary under certain circumstances, may be under alert level 2. But face shields should still be used in the 3Cs.]

“At pagka nag alert level 3 gawing mandatory ulet, so risk-based. Ang tawag dito risk-based use of face shield. Pagka nag taasan na naman ang kaso, pwede natin gawin mandatory sa alert level 3 and 4,” he added.

[And when we go to alert level 3, let’s make it mandatory again, so it’s risk-based. This is called risk-based use of face shields. When cases increase again, we can make it mandatory in alerts 3 and 4.]

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday will present to the national government its recommendation regarding whether or not to lift the mandatory use of face shields.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire has said local governments would submit an appeal or a recommendation to the Inter-Agency Task Force as regards the policy.

In an interview on CNN, Vergeire stressed the importance of face shields as the main mode of transmission of COVID-19 is a droplet infection

“That is based on evidence. It only becomes airborne or it lingers longer in the air when you are in an enclosed space,” Vergeire said.

“So having said that, if the major mode of transmission is still droplet, the face shield is still effective and can give you extra protection,” she added. -Llanesca Panti/NB, GMA News