DOH thumbs down proposal to exempt workers from wearing face shields

In this photo taken on September 2, 2020, a shopper (L) wearing a face shield checks out at a supermarket in Manila. Many face the new normal in the Philippines, where it is now compulsory to wear both face masks and plastic shields in indoor public spaces and on public transport. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP) /

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday thumbed down the proposal of the business sector to exempt workers from wearing face shields.

“Hindi po, ang amin pong punto at posisyon mula po nung umpisa yung pagsusuot ng mask, yung pagsusuot ng face shield, yung paggawa ng physical distancing, yung paghuhugas ng kamay,” DOH Undersecretary and spokeswoman Maria Rosario Vergeire said during the Laging Handa online press briefing when asked if she agreed with the business group’s proposal.

(No, our point and position since from the start is wearing of mask, wearing of face shield, observing of physical distancing, washing of hands.)

“Yun po ang aming isinusulong at ina-advocate po sa lahat at hindi po namin iko-compromise itong posisyon na ito dahil base po sa syensya at ebidensya, sinasabi na when you wear a mask, you can decrease the incidence or probability na ma-infect as much as 70 percent,” she added.

(That is what we have been advocating from the start and we won’t compromise this position because this is based on science and evidence which says when you wear a mask, you can decrease the incidence or probability to get as much as 70 percent.)

“Pag sinamahan niyo pa ho ng face shield at sinamahan niyo pa ho ng physical distancing, you can prevent yourself from being infected as much as 99 percent.”

(If you also wear a face shield and observe physical distancing,  you can prevent yourself from being infected as much as 99 percent.)

This comes after a group of leaders from the business sector appealed to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) to exempt workers from wearing face shields, saying that wearing such affects their sight and productivity in work.

It was Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III who said that employees now need to wear face shields in their workplaces to combat the spread of COVID-19.

To date, the Philippines has 299,361 COVID-19 cases, with 232,399 recoveries and 5,196 deaths.

CFC