DepEd says no COVID-19 cases so far on pilot run of limited face-to-face classes

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Tuesday, Nov. 23, that there were no reported cases of COVID-19 so far in schools that were part of the pilot run of the limited face-to-face classes.

Education Assistant Secretary Malcolm reported that no infections have been detected in the 56 public schools that submitted reports to the agency.

However, he noted that there were some who had exhibited symptoms for the virus. Among them were 8 students with fever, 76 with cough and colds, and one with sore throat. Moreover, 1 school personnel had cough and colds and 1 visitor had a fever.

The Department of Health (DOH) and DepEd are the government agencies which were tasked on the implementation of the pilot run for limited face-to-face classes. Earlier, both agencies stated that students won’t be required to be tested for COVID-19; instead, those with symptoms will be sent to isolation facilities.

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Meanwhile, Garma also noted some challenges among participants in following health protocols in the classrooms.

Inside classrooms, schools have noted how students tend to take off their face masks once in a while, especially among those in Kindergarten,

he said, noting that they are probably aren’t used to wearing masks yet while inside their classrooms.

He added that there were some students who forget to follow physical distancing measures and would go closer to their friends.

Garma also mentioned that outside classrooms, some visitors forget to log in for contact tracing purposes and appealed to local governments to ensure individuals wear their masks.

It’s not only for safety but also for adults to set an example to children,

he added.

DepEd identified as well the COVID-19 vaccination of parents as a challenge in resuming in-person learning, saying some have yet to receive a jab.

The two-month pilot study for limited face-to-face classes has started on November 15 under the directive of the DepEd, where 100 public schools and 20 private schools participated. More are expected to be included soon.

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