Following the approval of the voluntary use of face shield the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) said employers and private establishments may require the use of face shield by their employees or customers.

In Resolution Number 149 approved Thursday, Acting Presidential Spokesman Karlo Nograles said the IATF has clarified the guidelines on voluntary use of face shield for private companies and establishments in areas under alert level one, two and three.

"Without prejudice to employers still requiring their use for their employees and workers or customers in their respective premises," he said, quoting the resolution dated November 18.

"That is why the employers can require their employees to use face shield within their workplace and the private establishments can also require their customers to use face shield. That is within their discretion," he added.

Nograles said in the same resolution IATF outlined the new onsite capacities for agencies and instrumentalities of government.

He said the 40 percent onsite capacity for government offices in areas under Alert Level 4, 60 percent for Alert Level 3, and 80 percent for Alert Level 2.

"Meanwhile we would like to clarify that except in cases and all the onsite employees and workers of an establishment are required under the alert level system to be fully vaccinated," said Nograles.

"All partially vaccinated employees in the public and private sector tasked to do onsite work need not undergo regular RTPCR testing at their own expense as long as their second dose is not yet due," he added.

Nograles said it is the employer who will decide how often their onsite unvaccinated employees should undergo RT-PCR testing. But he noted that the test "should be done at least once every two weeks".

He said the IATF also increases the capacity of public transport to give our people enough means of transportation.

"The resolution states that the DOTr may proportionally increase public transport capacity to complement the increase of onsite capacities in government offices," he added. Robina Asido/DMS