DOH, DepEd to study class suspensions amid nat’l dengue alert

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) would still have to study alongside the Department of Education (DepEd) the possibility of suspending classes in areas most affected by dengue.

“[Iloilo City] Congresswoman [Julliene Baronda] wanted suspension of classes for some areas where there is really clearly an epidemic but…we will have to study this first with the DepEd because as much as possible we don’t want the disruption of classes,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Monday.

“But if it’s necessary we’ll support the good congressperson’s suggestion but you don’t know where the risk is eh, is it in the school? Is it in the house?” he added.

Baronda’s proposal comes after the DOH declared a national dengue alert amid a spike in reported cases of the viral illness caused by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in several regions.

According to Duque, 106,630 dengue cases have been reported nationwide from January to June 29, 2019.

READ: DOH declares national dengue alert

This is an 85 percent increase from the 57,564 cases reported over the same period last year, he added.

However, the health secretary clarified that there is no national epidemic as the cases of dengue are localized.

Duque also said he had convened a health cluster made up of the DOH, DepEd, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Interior and Local Government, the Philippine Red Cross, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Information Agency, and representatives of local government units.

“We have enumerated what are the deliverables of each of the contributing agencies of government and what are the activities,” Duque said. /je