Go backs limited use of face shields

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go has expressed his support for a proposal to limit the use of face shields to only high-risk activities, saying government should strike a balance between safety and comfort and economic considerations when recalibrating its COVID-19 pandemic policies.

“We must study if we can make the wearing of face shield voluntary in areas where COVID risk of infection are low,” Go, chair of the Senate committee on health, said in Filipino.

He stressed that as the government fast-tracks its vaccine rollout, the wearing of face shields can be considered non-mandatory, especially for fully vaccinated individuals.

“Our foremost protections are wearing face masks and being vaccinated. Face shield is just an added protection and it may not be mandatory, according to experts,” he said.

As the country slowly reopens the economy, Go noted that wearing of face shields must not also hinder the performance of workers’ functions in the workplace.

Go acknowledged proposals to relax face shield-wearing policy by limiting its mandatory use in high-risk activities under the so-called “3 Cs” (closed, crowded and close contact) framework.

Included in the 3 Cs are those prone to crowding such as in establishments, public transportation, indoor spaces, personal care services where high risk of infection is possible or present.