DoH backs keeping transport distancing
The Department of Health (DoH) on Saturday welcomed the retention of the one-meter safety protocol in public transports, pointing out that it provides more protection for the commuters.
The statement was in reaction to the announcement of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. that President Rodrigo Duterte has rejected the proposal of the transport sector to reduce the distance by 0.75 meters.
“We comply with the minimum health standards but it can’t be one by one, it has to be implemented together, everything including the washing of hands,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a televised briefing.
Citing studies, Vergeire explained that physical distancing combined with other standards such as proper handwashing and the wearing of masks and face shields increases the chances of protection by up to 99 percent.
The enforcement of reduced physical distancing on railways was based on the results of a survey of international practice on how railway operators and regulators are handling the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Initially, the DoH only told the public to be “extra vigilant” in areas where the onemeter distancing may not be practiced.
They likewise urged the public to continue choosing travel options where the minimum distance can be practiced.
DoTr to comply
The Department of Transportation (DoTr), meanwhile, said they will
“aggressively comply” with the one-meter distance stating that further guidelines on its implementation will soon be released.
In a text message, Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran said they will “aggressively comply and strictly enforce the onemeter physical distancing in all public transport as envisioned and mandated.”
The DoTr recently proposed to implement the new measure to facilitate the immediate economic rebound.
Despite concerns that it may lead to a surge in COVID-19 cases, DoTr Undersecretary Artemio Tuazon Jr. last week noted that the new protocol would boost ridership as more workers are now returning to work.
Under the new policy, physical distancing among commuters inside public transportation will be reduced to 0.75 meters from the current health standard requirement of at least one-meter distance as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Boosting ridership still a priority
Amid backlash, the DoTr clarified that the 0.75-m physical distancing policy was supported by medical experts and was signed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on 7 September.
“Apart from consultations with medical experts and simulation activities regarding transmission and exposure, the enforcement of reduced physical distancing on railways was based on the results of a survey of international practice on how railway operators and regulators are handling the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic,” Libiran told reporters.
She noted that the reduction in physical distancing is in response to the public’s clamor to increase public transport capacity to help revive the economy.