Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s plea regarding the use of face shields because of the looming threat of the COVID-19 Omicron variant is really just an advice, his acting spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Wednesday.
According to Nograles, there is nothing behind Duterte’s advice, saying that the President just felt it was his responsibility to inform the public about having an additional layer of protection.
“‘Yong sinabi po ni Pangulo kagabi is just a reminder to people that it’s voluntary, at dahil naging banta ang Omicron at ito ngang laban natin against COVID-19, the face shields acts as an additional layer,” Nograles said.
“So kumbaga, as a good father of the family, ang paalala lang ni Pangulo is if you wanna be really be fully protected, bagamat voluntary pa ‘yong face shields, that is still an added layer of protection against COVID, whatever variant,” he added.
Duterte during his Talk to the People briefing on Tuesday night said that he thinks the country’s good status regarding the COVID-19 pandemic can be attributed to the additional protocols like wearing of face shields.
The government policy to wear the controversial face shield — a piece of plastic or glass that was worn to shield the face which some people disliked due to the device allegedly obstructing their field of view — was initially stopped by Duterte last September, except in crowded and enclosed areas.
It was revised in November, with the government saying that it can now be shunned if an area is under Alert Level 2.
READ: ‘No more face shields outside’ – Duterte
READ: Face shields no longer required in areas under Alert Level 3 and lower – Palace
Nograles reiterated the government’s policy, saying that the current alert levels do not require the wearing of face shields.
“‘Yong Alert Level 2 guidelines po natin very clearly state na ‘yong face shields are voluntary, except in healthcare settings and hospital settings. So ‘yon lang po ‘yong mandatory,” Nograles clarified.
Duterte during his late Tuesday night briefing raised concerns about the possibility of a surge in infections led by the COVID-19 Omicron variant, said to be more transmissible than both the Alpha and the Delta variants.
The Alpha and the Delta caused surges from March to April 2021 and August to September 2021, respectively.
The President said that he is also wary because funds are currently depleted, as they have also allocated funds for Typhoon Odette which ravaged through the northern portion of Mindanao, the southern part of Visayas, and central Palawan.
READ: Duterte says looking for money for typhoon victims as funds ‘depleted’ due to COVID-19
Duque then relayed to Duterte that while there are insufficient data to make a conclusion about Omicron’s transmissibility and virulence, latest numbers indicate that it is more transmissible. In terms of virulence, the Department of Health (DOH) official said that more data is needed.
READ: Duterte worried anew about ‘depleted funds’ amid possible Omicron variant spread
On Monday, DOH confirmed that a returning Filipino who already tested negative got the COVID-19 Omicron variant. This brings the current number to three — all of which were inbound cases, including those who came from Japan and Nigeria.
READ: Philippines detects third case of Omicron coronavirus variant
Currently, the country has seen a continuous decrease in COVID-19 infections per day, and the active infection count. DOH said on Tuesday that active cases are only at 9,384, as only 168 new cases were recorded, while 372 patients recovered.
However, experts have warned of a possible spike in cases before the year ends or by early January if the Omicron variant is not kept in check, and if observance of health protocols fall by 30 percent.
READ: Serious surge of infections likely if Omicron enters PH — Octa Research
READ: DOH: 1 of 3 scenarios shows rise in COVID cases by January if protocols are ignored