Philippine Gov’t Now Requires Everyone To Wear Face Shields In Public

• On top of wearing face masks, the Philippine government is now requiring it’s citizens to wear face shields in public.
• The new mandate aims to lessen Covid-19 infections during the holiday season. the health department also reminded everyone to stay home and to avoid large gatherings.

The Philippine government has just announced that all Filipinos will now be required to wear face shields every time they are outside their homes. This is on top of complying with the nationwide mask mandate that has been in place since April.

In a December 15 virtual press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told the public, “You have to wear both a face shield and a face mask. And it has to be a full face shield.”

This new policy changes the previous directive by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) that face masks and face shields should only be worn when in public establishments (such as malls and groceries) and other enclosed spaces.

Officials in the country are preparing for a possible increase of Covid-19 infections during the holidays and so they’re hoping that face shields will “effectively lessen the transmission of COVID-19,” added Roque.

The Department of Health (DOH) has earlier encouraged the public to simply stay at home and use modern technology to celebrate Christmas with loved ones, instead of having physical gatherings.

In a post on the official DOH website, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said:

“We can still have a meaningful Christmas even if we stay at home and reconnect with our friends and families online… Celebrating the holidays during this pandemic is no exception to maintaining our caution.

“In fact, with the holidays upon us, we have more reason to be careful and cautious as the usual practices during these times pose a much greater risk of contracting COVID-19. We all need to find safer ways to celebrate this season without compromising our health and the health of our loved ones.”

As of this writing, the Philippines has reported a total of 451,839 Covid-19 infections, along with 418,867 recoveries, and 8,812 deaths.