MANILA, Philippines — The mandatory use of face shield is still in place for now, Malacañang said Monday as it reminded mayors to “follow” the chain of command in implementing COVID-19 policies.
Presidential spokesperson made the remark after Manila City lifted the mandatory use policy of face shields except in medical facilities.
Roque said the national government’s pandemic policy-making body, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), is still studying whether to drop the use of face shields altogether.
He urged the public to wait for the decision. He likewise reminded mayors that they are “under the control and supervision of the President in the executive branch of government.”
“Ang decision ng IATF ay desisyon din ng ating Presidente. Antayin natin ang desisyon ng IATF, meanwhile, until hindi nababago ang decsion ng IATF, the order of the president through the IATF is ipatupad pa rin ang pagsusuot ng face shields,” he said in a Palace briefing.
“Kaunting pasensya lang, pero kinakailangan, sundin natin ang chain of command sa Executive branch of government,” he added.
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has issued Executive Order (EO) No. 42, which declares the use of face shields as “non-mandatory” in the nation’s capital city except in hospital settings and medical clinics, among other medical facilities.
Moreno noted that Metro Manila was already downgraded to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 since November 5, meaning it has low and decreasing COVID-19 case transmission, low healthcare utilization rate or low or decreasing case counts but total bed and intensive care utilization rates are increasing.
Moreno had proposed to ultimately drop the mandatory policy in the use of face shields, saying it is an additional financial burden for Filipinos yet it does not provide people full protection against COVID-19 citing scientific studies abroad.