How much should face shields cost?

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

The Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) on Thursday encouraged the public to wear face shields along with face masks when going outside of the home as an additional measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the region.

In a press briefer, DOH-WV CHD spokesperson Dr. Maria Jocelyn Te read Department Order (DO) No. 2020-0345 which is titled Updated Suggested Retail Price (SRPs) for Emergency Essential Medicines and Medical Devices due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Health Event.

The order, which was dated August 10, 2020 and signed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, prescribed the SRP of non-medical grade face shields between P26 to P50 apiece.

The new DO also allows a 10 percent mark-up in the SRP of face shields sold in Visayas and Mindanao.

Dr. Te also enumerated the necessary specifications of face shields.

The face shields, according to this latest issuance, should “cover the whole sides and length of the face”.

This is a response to the public’s alternative use of eye protectors or eye shields in lieu of face shields.

“For the specifications, [face shields] should be clear plastic or acetate material, good visibility, fog resistant, with adjustable band to attach firmly around the head, fits snugly against the forehead, full face coverage, meaning completely cover the sides and length of the face, made of robust material that can be easily cleaned and disinfected, and can either be disposable or reusable,” Dr. Te said.

She said that the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases highly encourages the public to wear face shields in areas with increased local cases.

This includes Western Visayas, which has had 1,102 local cases based on DOH data as of August 13, 2020.

“We are encouraging the use of face shields in addition to wearing face masks. We encourage it in all public settings and all public transportation especially in areas with increased local cases. That is based in the issuance of the IATF. We also have to practice physical distancing of one meter apart in public areas and workplaces,” she said.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued Memorandum Circular No. 2020-014 on August 5, 2020, mandating the use of face shields in areas in all public transport modes where they are allowed to operate.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on August 1 allowed the use of eye protectors and eye shields as an alternative in their own issuance, but has since been prohibited after the DOTr issued its M.C.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas on August 7 also ordered vendors in the city’s public markets to wear face shields.

There was previous confusion among government agencies, particularly between the DOH and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as to which of them had jurisdiction in regulating the sale and distribution of face shields.

Despite this, the DTI Region 6 on August 7 told Daily Guardian that it had been monitoring the sale and supply of face shields for information purposes, pending any issuance from the national government.