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It’s a little backtrack only after four days – the Philippine government said private establishments can still require their workers and customers to wear face shields, even though it’s supposedly no longer mandatory in areas under Alert Levels 1 to 3.

Cabinet Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF) resolution on Monday, November 15, making face shields non-mandatory in areas under Alert Levels 1 to 3 is “without prejudice to employers still requiring their use for their employees and/or customers in their respective premises.”

“Kaya puwede pong i-require ng mga employers ang mga empleyado nila na mag-face shield sa kanilang workplaces, at puwede rin pong i-require ng private establishments ang customers nila na mag-face shield. That is within their discretion,” said Nograles in a press briefing on Friday, November 19.

(So employers can still require their employees to wear face shields in their workplaces, and private establishments can still require their customers to wear face shields. That is within their discretion.)

After more than a year of mandatory wearing of face shields, the Philippine government last Monday lifted the requirement for areas under Alert Levels 1 to 3, including Metro Manila, which is under Alert Level 2.

In areas under Alert Level 4, “local government units (LGUs) and private establishments are given discretion to mandate the use of face shields.”  – Rappler.com