Face shields should be used with face masks as a precaution against Covid-19, President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated on Monday, saying the public should follow his “advice” because they voted for him as the country’s leader.

He said there are “sectors” that insist that face shields are not necessary, but noted that he wanted to keep the face shield requirement because he cared about the health and safety of Filipinos.

“Sundin lang ninyo ako. Tutal binoto ninyo akong presidente. Milyon-milyon ang naglike sa akin, ika nga (Just follow my order. You voted for me after all. There are millions who like me, as they say). So ito it’s a[n] advice I’m giving you because I love you as Filipino,” he said in his pre-recorded public address.

Duterte said because it is still unclear how Covid-19 would enter a person’s body, it is best to have an additional layer of protection from infection.

He recognized that using face shields is “inconvenient”, but noted that it is better to be safe than sorry.

Besides the use of face shields, he also emphasized the importance of frequent hand-washing after interacting with other people.

“It is not discourteous nowadays to wash your hands in public after shaking the hands. It’s not bastos (rude) because that is really the measure that is needed by the times,” he said.

Get vaccinated

Duterte encouraged the public to get vaccinated against Covid-19, saying the virus “cannot really prosper” once more people get their shots.

He warned the public of the risks that go with refusing to follow minimum public health standards.

“Kung ayaw ninyo, well pag nahawaan kayo, lalo na itong Delta (If you don’t want to and get infected with the Delta variant), I think you can say goodbye to the world kasi (because) it’s very aggressive, very violent virus that enters your body at uubusin yung lungs mo, pati heart mo (and it’s going to destroy your lungs and heart),” he added.

The plan to beat Covid-19, he said, will not succeed without people’s cooperation.

“We’re trying to control the spread of the virus but we can only do so much. Kailangan kayong mga tao, magsunod talaga sa utos ng gobyerno kasi ito para sa kabutihan ninyo. Hindi ito para sa kabutihan namin (You should really follow government orders because this is for your own good. It’s not for our own good),” he said.

As of Monday, health authorities reported 8,900 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the total cases to 1,667,714.

Recoveries climbed to 1,560,106 after 7,937 more people got well while the death toll reached 29,128 with six new deaths. (PNA)