ILOILO City – Wearing of face shields will already be mandatory for all passengers in areas where public transportation is allowed – an added precautionary measure as authorities battle to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In Memorandum Circular No. 2020-014, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) directed all in the transportation sector to implement the “No Face Shield, No Ride” policy beginning Aug. 15.
As for sea travel, the policy mandating passengers to wear face shields will take effect on Friday, Aug. 7.
Public transportation is only allowed in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ.
NOT ONY PASSENGERS, DRIVERS, TOO
Richard Osmeña, director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in Western Visayas, said they will strictly enforce the policy come Saturday next week.
“But we have to include drivers, indi lang ang mga pasahero,” Osmeña clarified in a radio interview over DYOK Aksyon Radyo Wednesday morning.
He will convene today local officials and various public transportation stakeholders in Region 6.
According to Osmeña, checkpoints would be installed in strategic areas once the new rule takes effect.
“We will put checkpoints to advice the public pero indi lang anay kami mag-apprehend [during the first week]. We will make sure they understand that everyone must wear face shield,” Osmeña said.
The LTFRB, according to Osmeña, will only start apprehending violators one or two weeks after the information dissemination.
“Everybody is just starting to get back in their feet tapos may multa naman. I would prefer together with the Land Transportation Office to warn them (violators) anay,” he pointed out.
A WELCOME MOVE
Transport groups in the city welcomed DOTr’s memorandum on the mandatory use of face shield.
“Kon makapaayo kag makabulig sa aton mga kautoran para mapalayo sa virus, indi kami mamalabag,”
Edgar Salarda, president of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide-Panay
told Panay News.
Salarda plans to meet drivers to ensure they would comply with the policy.
“Masunod kami. Ligad to no facemask, no ride policy man,” said Salarda.
Boyet Parcon of the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Owners and Drivers Association echoed Salarda’s stand.
“Wala kita problema [kay] para ina sa kaayuhan sang tanan,” Parcon pointed out.
DETERRENT TO COVID-19
Dr. Marlyn Convocar, director of the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas Center for Health Development (CHD), said face shields are most likely to reduce the spread of SARS-COv-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.
She cited studies that the use of face shields in public places could block potential transmission of COVID-19 by up to 98 percent.
Face shields are personal protective equipment devices already in use by many health care personnel.
There are also makeshift versions of these where users utilize plastic binding covers; others use plastic bottles.
“Wearing a mask and face shield at the same time increases your protection [against COVID-19],” said Convocar.
The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
These droplets also land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth./PN