Face Shields No Longer Required in Parts of Philippines as Covid Cases Fall

President Rodrigo Duterte said face shields will no longer be required in many areas in the Philippines, easing the mandate more than a year after becoming one of the few countries in the world to require the plastic barriers against Covid-19.

Face shields will only be mandatory in areas where there’s a strict lockdown, according to a memorandum from Duterte’s office. Wearing them has been “cumbersome,” Duterte said at a briefing aired late Monday.