Face Shields Now Required at All Times Outside the House

Faceshields should now be worn on top of face masks in all public areas, Malacañang said Tuesday as the country prepares for a likely spike in COVID-19 cases during the holidays.

The government's inter-agency task force on pandemic response required the public to wear both face shields and face masks whenever they go out of their homes, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

"All persons are mandated to wear full-coverage face shields together with face masks, earloop masks, indigenous, reusable, or do-it-yourself masks or other facial protective equipment which can effectively lessen the transmission of COVID-19, whenever they go out of their residences..." the task force said in a resolution.

The new policy amends the earlier government order requiring face shields only in commercial establishments and enclosed spaces. Previously, only face masks were mandatory in public places.

Health authorities have earlier recommended the wearing of face shields on top of face masks, saying this is seen to reduce the risk of virus transmission by as much as 96 percent.