MANILA – The Department of Health is considering recommending that solo-riding cyclists be exempt from the mandatory wearing of face shields in public places amid the coronavirus pandemic, said its undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
“When you do exercises you require oxygen so nung nagpalabas po tayo ng guidelines noon sa mask, atin pong nabanggit ito at sinasabi natin na kung hindi talaga kaya ay hindi naman kailangan gawin as long as mag-isa ka lang naman dun sa bisikleta and you are not in a crowded place,” she said in a virtual presser.
“So ito pong pagfe-face shield when you do your biking ay atin pong pag-u-usapan, pero nakikita po natin that we can consider this as long as alone sila at nagbibisikleta,” she added.
Last week, the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) required the wearing of both facemasks and face shields when the public leave their homes.
The latest IATF-EID directive came as the country us bracing for a potential rise in coronavirus cases during the Christmas season.
The IATF-EID has then directed the DOH, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Labor and Employment, and other national government agencies to issue a consolidated advisory to the public on the proper use of face shields.
The public advisory may contain “exclusions or exemptions” from using face shields, “as may be appropriate.”/PN
