After the car seat controversy, here’s something new that Pinoys should be aware of: the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said today that it wants motorists inside private vehicles to wear face masks.
Absurd? From the Office’s perspective, it’s a good way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even among members of the same household traveling together. However, the proposal will have to be reviewed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the Department of Health (DOH).
Read: Filipino families told to buy bigger vehicles if kids too tall for car seats
“[W]e want to stop the possibility of virus spread. But we understand that this will still be reviewed by the IATF and the DOH, but whatever they decide on, the LTO will follow,” Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said in a media briefing.
“But for now, if you are caught, you won’t be forced to pay a fine or whatever. We will just explain the importance of wearing a face mask,” Galvante added.
“We won’t differentiate between travelers who live in the same home or those who don’t,” he said.
The LTO came under fire yesterday after one of its officers cheekily said in an interview that Filipino parents should just buy bigger cars if their children are too tall to sit on child restraint systems or booster seats, which have become mandatory starting today. The official had apologized for his remark, saying that it was “made in jest” but “inappropriate.” He added that according to the law if a child is taller than 4’11, he is exempted from using a booster seat.
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