BAGUIO MANDATES WEARING OF FACE SHIELDS ASIDE FROM MASKS

The city government has amended its ordinance requiring the mandatory wearing not only of face masks but face shields outside their homes, according to a PNA report.

Aileen Refuerzo, Public Information Office chief, on Saturday said the city’s legislative body approved on final reading Ordinance No. 49, series of 2021, which amended Ordinance No. 45-2020 or the Face Mask Ordinance of Baguio City by incorporating the face shield requirement.

“The city government will enforce the Face Mask and Face Shield Ordinance of 2021 following completion of its amendment process,” Refuerzo said on Saturday.

The measure, she added, declares that it is “unlawful” for all persons including tourists and outsiders to go to public places, buildings, national roads, or highway, sidewalks, walkways, or public conveyances, or other similar establishments, without wearing face mask and face shield until the threat of the COVID-19 is completely eliminated in the country.

She said the amended ordinance now also regulates the indiscriminate disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Refuerzo said the ordinance also prohibits transacting business with any person not wearing a face mask and a face shield in the public markets, supermarkets, groceries, malls, shopping centers, and government offices.

“Employees, workers or personnel within the establishments and offices may momentarily remove their face shields where the conduct of their work does not involve face to face or person to person interaction with clients, customers, visitors or co-employees and provided that social or physical distancing is observed and/or the presence of a plastic barrier in between the transacting parties,” she added.

The new policy, she said, also includes banks which is the subject of a joint memorandum circular of the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Labor and Employment (DOLE).

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