Palace: Duterte statement on face shield use considered policy
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement requiring the wearing of face shields on top of face masks only in hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic is considered policy, Malacañang said yesterday.
“I can confirm what Senate
President [Vicente] Sotto and Senator [Joel] Villanueva said that the President did say that the wearing of face shield should only be in hospitals,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said during a Palace briefing.
“When the President has decided, that is the policy,” he added.
Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the government’s policy-making body in the COVID-19 response, can appeal the President’s decision, Roque said.
“The President announced a new policy but this is without prejudice to the IATF appealing the decision of the President,” he said.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles earlier yesterday said the IATF will decide on the matter during a meeting.
Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega earlier said face shields need not be worn on top of face masks when outdoors because there is less risk of being infected with COVID-19.
DOH TO APPEAL
Before Roque’s press briefing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Department of Health (DOH) will make an appeal if Duterte decides to only require the use of face shields in hospitals.
Interviewed by GMA News’ Joseph Morong, Duque reiterated that it is not yet time to drop the use of face shields as the country’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage remains low.
“Any layer of protection is better than less protection,” he said.
In a tweet yesterday morning, Sotto said Duterte, during a Wednesday night conversation in Malacañang, agreed that face shields must only be worn in hospitals.
Senators Joel Villanueva and Juan Miguel Zubiri confirmed their conversation with the President on Wednesday night, but said it was merely “off the cuff ” and not an official discussion.
Joint Memorandum Circular 2021-0001 states that face shields are required to be worn in the following areas:
● Enclosed public spaces
● Schools
● Workplaces
● Commercial establishments
● Public transport and terminals
● Places of worship
● Other public spaces wherein one-meter physical distancing is not possible and there is gathering of more than 10 people at the same venue at the same time.