THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday said commuters are no longer required to wear face shields when riding public utility vehicles in areas under alert levels 1 to 3.
Transportation undersecretary for administrative services Artemio Tuazon Jr. said the use of face shields in public transportation in areas under relaxed quarantine guidelines is now voluntary.
President Duterte on Monday night approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) which limited the mandatory use of face shields only in areas under Alert Level 5 and granular lockdowns.
For areas under Alert Level 4, local government units (LGUs) and private establishments have the discretion to mandate the use of face shields, while for areas under Alert Levels 3, 2 and 1, the use of face shields shall be voluntary.
“In line with the directive issued by the IATF, which was also approved by the Palace, wearing of face shields in areas where Alerts Level 1, 2 and 3 are in place, is no longer mandatory. It will be voluntary,” Tuazon said.
Commuters were first required to wear face masks and face shields when riding PUVs, including trains, in August 2020.
When passenger capacity for PUVs were increased last month, passengers were still required to wear face shields.
Tuazon reminded the public that despite the lifting of the mandatory use of face shields, stringent preventive measures remain in effect to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in all public transport facilities.
Among these measures are the mandatory wearing of face masks, observance of social distancing, and frequent sanitation. Talking and eating are still discouraged inside all public transportation.
The Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) backed the government’s decision to ease the policy on face shield use amid the continued decline in COVID-19 cases.
In a phone interview, PCP president Dr. Maricar Limpin said: “With the low number of confirmed cases per day and with the current alert level system in place, we may not use the face shields.”
She said the PCP supported the mandatory use of face shield in the past because of the high number of COVID-19 cases as well as the threat of the Delta variant.
“It was, at a time, when the cases were high because of the Delta variant, which we know to be highly transmissible and high propensity to cause severe COVID-19 pneumonia,” said Limpin.
GRANULAR LOCKDOWNS
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said only 14 areas in the National Capital Region are under granular lockdown due to COVID-19 infections as of November 15.
During President Duterte’s Talk to the People on Monday night that was aired yesterday, Año said 44 households, composed of 211 individuals, are affected by these lockdowns.
The 14 areas under granular lockdowns are in 13 barangays within three cities, said Año.
Nationwide, Año said 299 areas are under granular lockdown in 189 barangays within 39 cities and municipalities. The lockdowns are affecting 443 households, or 1,147 individuals.
The PNP gave a slightly lower, saying that 426 households or 1,159 individuals are affected by the localized lockdowns declared in 283 areas. These areas are in 186 barangays within 40 cities and municipalities.
The PNP said the lockdowns are manned by 296 policemen and 378 force multipliers or local government personnel.
On quarantine violators, Año said 62,777 individuals were accosted nationwide for not wearing face masks from November 7 to 12.
He said 29,616 were accosted for not observing physical distancing and 789 were caught for involvement in mass gatherings.
The PNP said 431,831 violators were accosted by the police from November 5 to November 15 – 385,509 for violation of minimum public health standards, 30,405 for curfew violation and 15,917 non-Authorized Persons Outside Residence.
KIDS IN MALLS
Health officers from all local government units in Metro Manila met yesterday afternoon to discuss the policies and guidelines about minors going to malls amid the region’s Alert Level 2 status.
President Duterte on Monday night ordered LGUs to come up with ordinances imposing age restrictions on mall goers following reports that a two-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting a mall, almost two years since children were prohibited from leaving their homes.
The President said parents should not allow their kids aged below 12 years old and are still unvaccinated to go out to avoid contracting COVID-19.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos, during the Laging Handa public briefing, said the meeting with NCR health officers was already set even before the President issued the call.
Abalos said they will also be consulting the business sector on the matter of allowing or not allowing younger kids in malls.
He said the meeting aims to come up with “uniform policies” about the minors.
Abalos, in a separate interview, said a technical working group will likewise consult pediatric doctors on what age children can start wearing face masks.
“We are looking at those below one year old not to be allowed inside malls because they don’t know yet how to use face mask,” Abalos said, adding he will make public the decision of government experts once discussions are done.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain reported a resurgence of cases after the implementation of health protocols were relaxed.
According to Duque, the rising COVID-19 infection in European countries should serve as a warning to Filipinos, noting the pandemic cannot be defeated through vaccination alone.
OCTA Research fellow Guido David urged the public not to let their guard down by strictly observing the wearing of face masks as he cited the “significantly high” COVID-19 infection rate in the United Kingdom among school-aged children.
“What I just want to point out is that we are looking at data in the UK and of course in the UK, they opened up and there’s a significantly high infection rate among school-aged children, it’s about 15 times higher than adults,” David told the House committee on trade and industry which was briefed on the implementing guidelines on the government’s move to bring down the quarantine classification of Metro Manila and other provinces to Alert Level 2.
David said most of the victims are 10 to 14 years old unvaccinated children.
David said the increase in the number of infections in the UK could be attributed to the ditching of face masks, which he said should not happen in the Philippines, especially since face-to-face classes are already being pilot tested in several schools nationwide.
“It may be difficult to monitor the mask mandate for children, so this is something of a concern because we’re having limited face-to-face classes. This will be the responsibility of teachers who are in charge of the classes,” he added. — With Victor Reyes, Jocelyn Montemayor, Noel Talacay, Gerard Naval and Wendell Vigilia
