Face shield rules up for Duterte approval

MANILA, Philippines — A new policy on the wearing of face shields set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) awaits President Duterte’s approval, Malacañang said yesterday.

“What about the face shields? There is already a decision, but this is up for approval and possibly for announcement by the President himself,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said in a video message after announcing the latest IATF resolutions.

Earlier, the Department of Health (DOH) recommended the voluntary use of face shields in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2, except in public transportation.

At present, the government requires the use of face shields on top of face masks in closed and crowded areas and during close contact activities – conditions known as the “3Cs.”

Metro Manila mayors have expressed support for the removal of the face shield policy except in “critical” places like hospitals, barangay centers and in public transport.

Several local government units (LGUs) outside Metro Manila, including Cebu City, have scrapped the policy on the mandatory wearing of face shields except in public transport, hospitals and other medical facilities.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had said that ordinances approved by LGUs lifting mandatory wearing of face shields are not “null and void” as declared earlier by Roque.

In the meantime, the Palace spokesman appealed to LGUs to show respect to the President by waiting for the IATF decision on the matter of face shields.

‘It’s Zumba time!’

Yesterday, Malacañang announced that group fitness activities in areas under Alert Level 2 are already allowed.

“The recommendation to allow group activities for fitness studios, gyms and venues for non-contact exercise and sports in areas under Alert Level 2 has been approved,” Roque said. “Zumba time na naman po (It’s Zumba time again).”

Alert Level 2 refers to areas wherein case transmission is low and decreasing, health care utilization is low or case counts are low and decreasing but total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate is increasing.

Kids at malls

In a related development, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Metro Manila mayors would review guidelines on allowing children in shopping malls, following reports that a child supposedly caught a COVID-19 infection.

Año said that he leaves it to the mayors to review age restrictions for minors allowed to go outdoors and to malls even as the National Capital Region (NCR) is already under the more relaxed Alert Level 2.

“I leave it to the LGUs to review the guidelines. It is within their authority to put restrictions as the situation may call for,” he told reporters.

Intrazonal and interzonal movement has been allowed for minors in the NCR and areas under Alert Level 2 as the government opens up more establishments to reopen the economy.

As leniency comes with the decline in the number of daily COVID-19 cases, Año reminded the public that the pandemic is not over yet.

Reacting to the report that a child contracted COVID-19 a few days after going to the mall, the DILG chief said: “That’s very unfortunate. That’s why we are still reminding everyone to follow the public health protocols and for the parents to discern in bringing their kids to the mall to be careful and only if it’s necessary.”

In another development, children are now allowed to ride trains of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) along EDSA.

People below 18 years old should only be accompanied by their parents or guardians, declared the MRT-3 management in an advisory issued yesterday.

Kids and teenagers, together with their adult companions, could board the trains allotted for priority sectors like the elderly and persons with disabilities (PWD), it added.

The MRT-3 management decided to let minors ride the trains after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) ordered that seating capacity inside trains be increased under Alert Level 2.

Face-to-face TESDA training

Meanwhile, the IATF has adopted the proposed guidelines for the limited face-to-face training and assessment program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“As such, TESDA is allowed to conduct training and assessment from 50 percent to 100 percent venue capacity, subject to minimum public health standards in areas under Alert Levels 4 to 1,” Roque said.

On the other hand, no face-to-face activities shall be allowed under Alert Level 5, he said. – Romina Cabrera, Ghio Ong