Wearing of face shields will remain mandatory for a longer time as an “added protection” for Filipinos until the virus is no longer a threat, Malacanang said Thursday.
“As of now, there are no plans yet from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to remove the face shields,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said during a virtual press briefing.
The IATF position was reiterated despite the growing questions regarding its usefulness, as well as corruption allegations pertaining to its procurement.
The government explained that the Delta variant has a transmission rate that is 60 percent faster than the Alpha strain.
It has also been proven that its transmission in outdoor settings could rise by as much as 40 percent.
“But I understand that even the WHO will render an expert opinion on whether or not the use of face shields is justified. So let’s just wait for the opinion of WHO,” he said.
Earlier, the World Health Organization said it was reviewing the Philippines’ experience in using face shields as an additional layer of protection against COVID-19.
The Philippines is “one of the few countries advocating the use of face shields in addition to a mask” as protection against the virus, said WHO country representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe.
He said there was no sufficient evidence yet to show that the use of face shields has helped the country delay the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.
He said: “It’s interesting that we have been able to sort of delay the speed by which the Delta variant is spreading, but we don’t know if the face shields are a contributory factor. While we are understanding all of these issues, it’s best to look for evidence and make our decisions based on that.”
“The face shields are being used to reduce the likelihood of infection through the eyes and so that’s not actually an additional layer although it boosts the protection from poor wearing of mask practices,” Abeyasinghe said.
Face shields were among the medical supplies purchased by the Department of Health for alleged overpricing.
President Rodrigo Duterte repeatedly denied there was corruption in the purchase of medical supplies.
Abeyasinghe said a single face mask could protect people from contracting the virus provided that it is worn “properly and consistently.”
“You can wear two masks, you could wear 4 masks, but if you don’t wear it properly or consistently, it will not provide protection,” he said.
“You don’t need double masking. You don’t need added layers. What you need is diligence in following public health standards,” Abeyasinghe added.