Businesses can require face shields in their area – Malacañang

The government revoked its earlier order to remove the face shield requirement over the face mask in all areas except Alert Level 5 and granular lockdown areas in the center of COVID-19.

Just four days ago, the mandatory face shield was removed at Alert Levels 1, 2, and 3 while the ball was being given to local governments to decide whether to make it compulsory or not.

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“Concerning the voluntary use of face shields for areas under Alert Level 3 to 1, it is hereby clarified that the same is without prejudice to employers still requiring their use for their employees/workers and/or customers in their respective premises,” said acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles, Friday.

The removal of the strict face shield policy came after various sectors, including all 17 Metro Manila mayors, questioned its “scientific” validity against COVID-19.

Although President Rodrigo Duterte has not yet approved the pandemic task force’s recommendation to ease the face shield requirement, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has already implemented it in their city.

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“We had to clarify with the [task force]… because there are two trains of thought, is [wearing face shields] user discretion or the discretion of the establishment?” Nograles added.

Businesses can require face shields in their area – Malacañang

“When it comes to customers, it is the discretion of the establishment.”

Meanwhile, COVID-19 is about to land a plateau in Metro Manila due to the expected drop in new cases until December.

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OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said from November 11 to 17, NCR recorded an average of 379 new cases per day, which is lower compared to the 407 average from November 4 to 10. This resulted in a -7% average growth rate in the region.

The reproduction number in NCR also dropped to 0.5 on November 14, while the positivity rate in the COVID-10 tests was only 3% from November 10-16.

“With such a low positivity rate, we project the NCR will continue to have a decline in new cases, with a target 7-day average of 200 new cases by end of November,” said David.

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