Duterte says face shield not required in Philippines now

MANILA • President Rodrigo Duterte said face shields will no longer be needed in many areas in the Philippines, easing the mandate more than a year after the country became one of the few in the world to require the anti-virus plastic barriers.

Face shields will only be mandatory in areas where there is a strict lockdown.

Wearing them has been "cumbersome", Mr Duterte said at a briefing aired late on Monday.

A Senate probe has looked into allegations that face shields bought by the government were overpriced, a claim that officials have denied.

Mr Duterte on Monday night also approved the health department's recommendation for health workers to receive vaccine boosters and called on local governments to again ban kids in malls after a report that a two-year-old boy tested positive for Covid-19 days following a mall visit.

In the same briefing, Mr Duterte said the Philippine economy "can soon return to its pre-pandemic performance" after gaining traction last quarter on strong household consumption.

Mr Duterte and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also warned that complacency in the face of a downward trend in Covid-19 cases nationwide could lead to a resurgence in infections similar to what has happened in Europe. Daily infections have eased to fewer than 2,000 in the past days.

"Everywhere, we can see that the cases are going down, and each major island group has recorded less than 1,000 cases per day on the average. So what we're seeing is a good thing, and we hope that it continues," Mr Duque told the President.

"But we can't be lax in following minimum public health standards and other social measures," Mr Duque said. He also said the improving Covid-19 outlook is not enough reason for people to stop physical distancing or wearing masks.

BLOOMBERG, PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK