Wearing face shields is not recommended for people who have respiratory problems, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual briefing today, a few days after the government declared the use of the contraption mandatory.
“We don’t recommend the use of face shields if a person has a specific ailment where he has problems breathing,” she said in English and Filipino.
Read: PH gov’t orders mandatory wearing of face shields in all public places
It is also not recommended if it would lead to visibility problems, she said.
“We also do not recommend it for dangerous jobs, for example, the light might get reflected on the face shield and this would lead to visibility problems [at work],” she said.
“But what we are recommending right now is for people to use face shields together with face masks and do physical distancing especially when you are in public places. Because this will give you the protection that you need so that you don’t get infected with the virus,” the health official added.
Earlier this week Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque announced that wearing face shields in all public places had been made mandatory, in light of the predicted surge of COVID-19 cases that will happen after the holiday season. The new policy was met with some complaints, however, with some people saying that the shield causes visibility problems especially when walking or running.
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