April 10, 2024

Mayor Benjamin Magalong requested the city council to consider amending the ordinance mandating the wearing of face shields in the city to limit its use in Covid-19-critical areas like hospitals and isolation centers.

In a letter dated Nov. 8 to Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, the mayor said the city can now consider relaxing the face shield use requirement after attaining 71.18 percent full vaccination accomplishment in adult target population, which can still go as high as 90 percent by yearend.

The city has also begun to see a steady downtrend in cases prompting the easing up of restrictions and reopening of more economic activities.

The mayor said a similar suggestion is now being tackled at the national level by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases Technical Working Group (IATF-EID).

“As some restrictions are gradually eased in consonance with the increasing number of vaccination individuals, this move may be a welcome change for our citizens after nearly two years of dealing with this pandemic,” he noted.

The face shield requirement is incorporated in Ordinance 49 s. 2021, which amended Ordinance 45-2020 or the Face Mask Ordinance of Baguio City.

The measure declares it 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.

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.

Violators face fines ranging from P500 to P2,000 and cancellation of business permit if applicable. – Aileen P. Refuerzo