INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
Many Filipinos may have been happy to finally ditch their face shields, but no less than President Duterte is still advising the public to use them, citing the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in other countries.
“Those who do not want to get infected, do not throw away the shield, continue using it, I advise you, because I really firmly believe that the wearing of that face shield has contributed a lot. I cannot quantify or by what percentage it’s just a gut feeling because our cases are now low,” Mr. Duterte said in a public address on Tuesday night.
Malacañang, however, was quick to clarify the following day that the use of face shields would remain voluntary except in health-care facilities and hospitals, under the guidelines for the current alert level 2.
According to the President, the public’s compliance with and the strict enforcement of the face mask mandate had helped curb coronavirus transmissions, while the face shields added another layer of protection.
Just a reminder
He noted that people in other countries were quick to invoke human rights in challenging government mandates on protective gear for COVID-19 and invoked their freedom in refusing to wear masks.
“Now they see that it (high COVID-19 transmission) has revisited their country again. And the problem is that with an added so many variants already, you have the Omicron and the [Delta], there might be another crop of viruses that’s coming our way,” he said.
Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said Mr. Duterte’s statements were just a reminder to people that face shields provide an additional layer amid the threat of the Omicron variant.
“As a good father of the family, the President issues the reminder that if you want to be fully protected, even if the face shield is voluntary, that is still an added layer of protection against COVID, whatever variant, including the Omicron variant,” he said.
Three confirmed cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in the Philippines so far, involving two Filipinos and a Nigerian.
The Philippines could not keep the Omicron variant from entering the shores because “we accept arrivals from other countries,’’ the President said.