Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Many government officials who are members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) favor removing the requirement to wear face shields, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Friday.
“There will still be discussions on this. Many IATF members are favoring the move but we have to also consider the vaccination rate and the level of risk in particular areas,” Año told INQUIRER.net in a text message when asked of the sentiments of other IATF members based on informal discussions.
Talks on whether face shields are really needed resurfaced after Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said Año would propose the lifting of the requirement on face shields except in hospitals.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the matter was discussed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) on Thursday. However, she said the DOH told the IATF that it needs to study the proposal first.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III believes that the requirement for wearing face shields should be risk-based.
“It has to be risk based in case it is made voluntary during alert level 2. Risk based means it can be made mandatory anytime alert levels 3-5 are imposed under the 3Cs of face shielding such as in closed spaces, crowded areas, and in close contact settings,” he said in a separate text message.
“Definitely, [in] outdoor [places] as in open spaces, [there should be] no need for it,” Duque added.
Wearing a face shield is currently mandated in closed spaces, crowded areas, and close-contact settings.