[ad_1]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 10) – Space to ensure physical distancing will be gradually reduced from September 14 to accommodate more passengers on public transportation, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Friday. The proposal promoted by DOTr and the Economic Development Group was approved by the Inter-institutional Working Group and the National Working Group against COVID-19.
From the distance of one meter recommended by the World Health Organization, DOTr will reduce the space between passengers within public transport to 0.75 meters. The distance will be reduced to 0.5 meters in the next two weeks and then to 0.3 after another 14 days.
DOTr said that, with the mandatory use of masks and face shields in public transportation, the observed 1 meter physical distance measurement can eventually be adjusted to 0.3 meters.
He said that the number of passengers on the railways will increase dramatically with the reduction of physical distancing. He added that “standing passengers” can be accommodated in modern USPs and public service buses. The adjustment in the physical distancing rules also applies to airlines and passenger ferries.
But former special adviser to the COVID-19 task force, Dr. Tony Leachon, is wary of looming relaxation in physical distancing rules.
“This movement will need calibrated planning. Pilot studies with daily follow-up of cases. It will need reference models from other countries that use this practice. The results should be known,” he told CNN Philippines.
The COVID-19 virus is transmitted primarily through droplets when an infected person speaks, coughs, or sneezes. A person can also contract the virus when they touch a surface with these drops and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.
DOTr said the EDC consulted with health experts before making the proposal, arguing that strict enforcement of health standards, including the no-talk rule inside trains, will ensure the safety of travelers.
CNN Philippines correspondent Tristan Nodalo contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
