THE CITY government has lifted the use of barriers in public utility vehicles, including motorcycles.
Mayor Sara Duterte signed Executive Order 63 yesterday which lifts the use of plastic barriers in passenger vehicles, although those who will voluntarily continue to use these will still be allowed.
“The use of plastic barriers in public utility vehicles (PUVs) shall no longer be required. However, drivers and operators must still implement the mandatory implementation of wearing face masks and physical distancing inside their units,” the order added.
Executive Order 51 which the mayor also issued yesterday emphasized that use of face shields will be voluntary in the so-called 3Cs settings: “crowded places, close contact settings, and confined and enclosed spaces.”
“For all other places, the use of the face shield shall not be required,” it added.
The national government, through the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases ordered that plastic barriers be used in passenger vehicles, including motorcycles, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus.
However, some groups criticized the order as some of the pillion riders belong to the same families. In August, the Interior and Local Government department said the use of barriers in motorcycles for authorized persons outside residences is not needed.
Lately the national government also decided to downgrade the classification of most areas in the country following the marked decline in the number of daily COVID-19 cases with the city being placed under Alert Level 3.
On Monday, the regional office of the Department of Health reported that of the 80 new COVID-19 cases in the region, 21 were from the city.
