The country's COVID-19 task force is looking into the possibility of returning the mandatory wearing of face shields for added protection against the threat of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Sunday.
"We will look at the possibility. 'Yan ang inaano ni (Health) Sec (Francisco) Duque. He is pro na maibalik ang any protections na puwede natin gamitin kasi some people from WHO (World Health Organization) also believe that kaya nagkaroon ng magandang result sa Delta as to others because of the protection of face shield," Galvez said in a press briefing.
Currently, only those living in areas under Alert Level 5 are required to wear face shields.
It can be recalled that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte gave local governments and private establishments in places under Alert Level 4 the discretion to keep or scrap the rule.
Galvez also noted that so far, no Omicron variant case has been detected in the Philippines.
Following its threat, the national government imposed a travel ban in 14 countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy effective November 28 until December 15.
