Everyone is now required to wear a face mask and a face shield whenever leaving the house.
At an online news briefing on Tuesday, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) made the decision in its Resolution 88, Series of 2020, which was issued last Monday.
“All persons are mandated to wear full-coverage face shields, together with face masks, earloop masks, indigenous, reusable, or do-it-yourself masks, or other facial protective equipment,” the IATF said in its five-paged issuance.
Roque said this was part of government efforts to minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) during the Christmas holidays.
He noted he is confident almost all people will be able to comply with the new policy since affordable face shields are now widely available in the market.
Prior to the said issuance, face shields was only required for people, who will be entering malls and enclosed areas, or boarding public transportation.
Aside from the mandatory wearing of face shields, the IATF-EID also intensified the community quarantine in the province of Isabela, except Santiago City, to general community quarantine (GCQ) from modified GCQ (MGCQ).
This was in response to the request of the local government in the province amid the rising cases of infections in their jurisdiction.
The new classification of Isabela will take effect up to December 30, 2020.
Roque said the IATF-EID also allow the resumption of the operation of provincial buses in point to point routes approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) including their stop-over/transit terminals.
“For this purpose, the Department of Transportation through the LTFRB, is directed to craft the necessary operational guidelines,” IATF said in its latest resolution.
The IATF also allowed the resumption of the training for national athletes, who will be competing in the Tokyo Olympics in a “bubble type” setting, as well as the qualifying examinations for insurance agents in GCQ areas.
Image credits: Muriel B. Dizon