Drivers don't need to wear a face mask when alone in a vehicle says Cabinet Secretary Nograles
Drivers who are alone in their vehicle need not wear a face mask as he or she cannot infect anyone else, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a statement Tuesday.
Nograles, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases co-chairman, cited an advisory from the Department of Department of Health that states, “those driving alone may remove their masks while inside the vehicle.”
“I think that is only logical; if there is no one in the vehicle with you, you cannot infect anyone else,” Nograles said.
Nograles’ clarification came after the Land Transportation Office’s Law Enforcement Service acting director Clarence Guinto said in an interview with ABS-CBN Teleradyo on Monday that passengers of a vehicle must wear a face mask regardless if they come from the same household.
Those with private vehicles who will fail to adhere to the LTO’s protocol will reportedly be fined P2,000 for reckless driving, while public vehicles will be fined P5,000.
Meanwhile, Nograles reiterated that while the quarantine restrictions are slowly being eased and the rollout of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination plan is forthcoming, people should not be complacent and should still do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19.