MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The Philippines’ Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Diseases (IATF) has mandated that all Filipinos leaving their homes should wear a face shield, in addition to the already-mandated wearing of face masks, as a strategy to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.

But then, the Department of Health, a member of the IATF, has said that the wearing of face shields is not recommended for those with respiratory issues, or those who are having breathing difficulties when wearing the said protective gear.

Since it is assumed that most people are having breathing difficulties when wearing face shields (while already wearing face masks), we surmise that almost everyone would be exempted from the new IATF rule. The only people covered by the rule are probably those who consider wearing both a face mask and a face shield a fashion statement.