MANILA, Philippines — As an additional precaution against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the government is looking at requiring the public to wear face shields in public places, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Friday.
“Hindi pa ho yan nirerequire ngayon pero ho baka ho in the future ay ma-require na natin kung kailanganin natin mag extra protection. But ngayon ho we will just encourage yung pagsusuot po ng face shield, umpisahan ho natin yun,” Lopez said in a televised briefing.
(That is not yet required but maybe in the future it will be in case extra protection will be needed. But now, we will just encourage the wearing of face shields.)
Lopez said wearing face shields gives more protection against possible transmission of the virus.
“Ito po yung isa ding kino-consider ng IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Diseases) na i-encourage na rin ang ating mga kababayan as an extra step para ho lumakas at ang mga prevention, maiwasan ang transmission ho,” Lopez said.
(This is being considered by the IATF, to encourage the public as an extra step to increase prevention of transmission.)
“Kasi sa pag-aaral, something like 82 percent ang nagba-block pag mask. Pero pag may face shield ka pa, almost 99 percent ang naba block na potential transmission,” he added.
(According to studies, only about 82 percent are blocked by masks but if you have a face shield, potential transmission is blocked at almost 99 percent.)
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a separate statement, said the IATF discussed the wearing of face shields in “low ventilation settings, such as public transportation.”
Roque also floated the idea of the use of face shields in Metro Manila and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) “where transmission of COVID-19 cases is high.”
So far, only the wearing of masks when going to public places is required by the government.