School closed for disinfection as teacher tested positive for COVID-19

The Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC) announced on Wednesday that the president of its Metro Manila chapter tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 or Covid-19.

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Ildefonso "Nono" Enguerra III, president of the TDC-National Capital Region Teachers' Union tested positive and immediately lockdown the school where he works. He is currently under home quarantine in Marilao, Bulacan.

He underwent a swab test last July 22 after experiencing symptoms of the respiratory disease.

Before the swab test, Enguerra was asked to report physically to his workplace at Manuel A. Roxas Senior High School in Manila, along with around 30 other teachers, the TDC said.

The teachers went to the school last July 14 to accomplish a performance rating and undergo training on the use of Google Classroom.

Enguerra felt some symptoms after several days including fever, cough, sore throat and loss of smell and appetite. A number of teachers from his school also reported the same symptoms.

The school is now on a lockdown until August 3 for disinfection.

The group reiterated its demand that the DepEd act on reports that some field officials were requiring teachers to physically report to schools.

Unfortunately, it seems that the DepEd leadership is not exerting enough effort to minimize the exposure of teachers to the dreaded virus by not acting on these reports,

the group said.

The group added it received a report that some 20 teachers in Quezon province were put in isolation after being exposed to a colleague who had tested positive for COVID-19.

Last week, the TDC submitted to DepEd an initial list of school division offices which have jurisdiction over schools that required teachers to physically report to their campuses.

The Department of Education has said its personnel, including teachers, are not required to physically report to offices as it sought to allay fears that new work arrangements may expose education workers to the risk of contracting COVID-19.