DepEd records COVID-19 confirmed cases at 2,193 among its personnel

The Department of Education (DepEd) has logged more than 2,000 of its personnel that contracted the coronavirus disease.

Photo credit: thejakartapost.com

This was relayed by Negros Oriental 1st District Representative Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong, vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, who defended the Department of Education’s P606.47 billion budget for 2021.

So far, there are confirmed cases of 2,193 personnel that were affected by COVID,

she told the plenary after ACT Teachers partylist Representative France Castro asked about the confirmed COVID-19 infections among public educators and employees.

In the 2, 193 cases nationwide, there are 551 that are active cases. Limkaichong said the Deped recorded more than 1,584 recoveries and 48 deaths.

Castro has written DepEd regional directors to check the Covid-19 status per region, only the directors from Region IV-A (CALABARZON) and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) responded to her request, she said.

She noted that in the National Capital Region (NCR), there were 100 reported cases among DepEd personnel. While, Region IV-A had 13 cases, Region VII had 21; Regions II (Cagayan Valley) and X (Northern Mindanao) had one each.

Tatlo po ang Cebu teachers sa Liloan town, northern Cebu ang nag COVID positive due to module distribution, 10 teachers from Ilagan City in Isabela,

Castro said.

[Three Cebu teachers from Liloan town, Northern Cebu were COVID-positive due to module distribution and 10 teachers from Ilagan City in Isabela.]

However, DepEd official said that the 10 public school teachers who recently contracted the coronavirus disease in Isabela did not get it during the distribution of modules. The department confirmed that all teachers belong in the same school and that 9 of them were exposed to the first patient, who was infected by a neighbor.

It is still unclear what the particular tasks the teachers were working on when they were exposed to their workmate.

Castro asked the department to make sure that financial and medical assistance will be extended to its Covid-19 positive personnel.

The Department of Education should ensure free healthcare services are available for teachers as they push for the continuity of classes amid the pandemic. Teachers are the frontliners in the delivery of education for the youth,

she said.

Now more than ever, the Department of Education must ensure that the rights of teachers under the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers and other pertinent laws on occupational health are realized, as classes resume and dozens of teachers report to have been exposed to or have contacted the COVID-19 virus.