Up to Cebu City business to enforce face shield policy, says acting mayor

Cebu City Acting Mayor Mike Rama has given establishments authority to decide on whether they would require customers to use face shields indoors.

Rama announced this at a press conference on Friday, November 5, after Iloilo City and Davao City scrapped the face-shield policy. 

“I have been telling before that I was very happy when the president gave the pronouncement kay preposterous na ang face shield (because the face shield is preposterous),” Rama said, adding that it had proven ineffective in preventing COVID-19. 

“I would wish to empower the Chamber of Commerce to look into it since they would be much better [to decide] to implement [the policy] at their end,” he added.

In a Messenger chat, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Felix Taguiam told Rappler that they would not be issuing any directives on requiring face shields in the city’s business establishments.

“We would rather abide by what the experts and medical professions from the Department of Health (DOH) and LGUs will recommend,” he said.

DOH spox Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media briefing on Friday, November 5, that the health agency supported easing rules on the use of face shields. 

For now, some of Cebu City’s business establishments are still implementing the policy.

As of November 4, the DOH has recorded only 2 new active cases in Cebu City. The city also has only 275 active cases and a daily positivity rate of 3.11%.  

In terms of hospital utilization, Cebu City’s total COVID-19 bed occupancy rate is only at 18.2%.

Cebu City has fully vaccinated 47.05% of its eligible population to be inoculated. – Rappler.com