The World Health Organization (WHO) disregards the intent investigation of the efficacy of face shields after COVID-19 daily cases surged in the country last September 7.
Department of Health reported 20,336 new daily active cases as of September 21, bringing the total active cases to 188,108. As new strains of COVID-19 entered the country, escalation of cases occurs and the leap of the country from this pandemic stall.
"In a situation where the face shields are considered an additional layer of protection and the country yesterday reported the highest number of cases, I think we shouldn't be even talking about changing the position now because we may, in the process, give the wrong message to the public," WHO Representative in the Philippines, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe said in an interview.
President Rodrigo Duterte along with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) recommended, again, the mandatory wearing of face shields in public spaces and enclosed spaces last August 9, making it the only country with a face shield mandate. Duterte said it is best to have an additional layer of protection against COVID-19, despite mass public complaints.
At a press briefing last August 31, Dr. Abeyangsinghe suggested looking into the effectiveness of face shields against COVID-19, contrary to his latest announcement. He stated that although there is a delay in the transmission of the Delta variant, face shields may not be a contributing factor, “While we’re understanding all of these issues, it's best to look for evidence and make our decision based from that," he added.
Continuous use of face shields will be practiced since there is still no discussion with IATF-EID lifting this policy. Different health departments recommended requiring it while vaccinated areas in the country remain low.