Make face shield decisions based on science, Robredo says

PHOTO FROM DOST

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President and presidential aspirant Leni Robredo has said that any reintroduction of the mandatory use of face shields should be based on science.

“Ano ba iyong sinasabi? Sinabi ng WHO (World Health Organization) na hindi ni-rerecommend na gawing mandatory siya, so sa akin, anuman iyong desisyon, kailangan naka-base sa ano ba iyong pagtingin ng experts tungkol dito,” Robredo told reporters.

(The WHO has said that it does not recommend making it mandatory, so to me, whatever their decision is, it should be based on what the experts think about it.)

National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said during a taped briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday that mandatory face shield policy would be implemented again once the Omicron variant of COVID-19 enters the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the WHO has maintained that face shields are not yet recommended despite the threat posed by the Omicron COVID-19 variant.

READ: Face shield policy to return once Omicron enters PH, higher alert levels imposed

The DOH likewise said the same, noting that the transmission level of COVID-19 in the country remains “very low” despite the threat of the Omicron variant.

READ: No need to reimpose face shield policy yet despite Omicron threat, says DOH

Currently, wearing face shields is voluntary in areas under Alert Level 2, such as Metro Manila.

As of Nov. 30, no cases of Omicron have been reported in the country yet.

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