After long requiring face shields on public transportation and trains, it can also be removed within the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just Monday, President Rodrigo Dutertre approved the recommendation to remove the mandatory face shield requirement, except for Alert Level 5 and granular lockdown areas.
“Para po sa lahat ng nagtatanong, HINDI NA po MANDATORY ang pagsusuot ng face shield sa LRT-2,” according to the leadership of such line, Tuesday.
(For all those who ask, it is NO LONGER MANDATORY to wear face shields on the LRT-2.)
“Katulad ng nakasaad sa recommendation ng IATF na aprubado ng Pangulo, voluntary ang pagsusuot ng face shield para sa mga lugar na nasa ilalim ng Alert Levels 3, 2, at 1.”
(As stated in the IATF recommendation approved by the President, wearing face shields is voluntary for areas under Alert Levels 3, 2, and 1.)
Currently, Metro Manila is at Alert Level 2 except for the region being “low-risk” in COVID-19.
Before Duterte scrapped the previous face shield requirement, it was required in “crowded, closed and close contact” areas such as trains.
The same rule applies to LRT-1 and MRT-3, while it is emphasized that wearing them is voluntary.
The Department of Transportation-MRT-3 added that wearing face masks and other health and safety protocols inside the train will still be strictly enforced.
Also read: Parents should not bring children ages 11 and below to the mall – PMA
Face shields no longer required inside MRT, LRT
Apart from this, it is still forbidden inside MRT-3 to:
- speak
- eat
- drink
- talk on the phone
Some groups and Metro Manila mayors have long questioned the implementation of face shield requirements nationwide against COVID-19, especially since it is made mandatory almost exclusively in the Philippines. They are even asking for more proof if it is effective against the virus.
According to the latest estimate of the Department of Health (DOH), yesterday, up to 2.81 million people were infected with the disease in the country, 45,581 have died.
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