Iloilo City follows example of others, suspends all classes for 2 weeks

ILOILO CITY—Following the example set by many other cities and towns, Mayor Jerry Trenas ordered classes in all levels in private and public schools suspended for at least two weeks as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

There won’t be classes from March 16-31, according to the mayor’s executive order.

During that period, students would be barred from malls, bars, coffee shops, computer shops and other places where social distancing, or safe space between persons, is impossible.

Health officials had measured safe distances between persons to be at least a meter to prevent the transfer of virus-laden droplets.

Trenas said city government employees would check establishments for compliance with his order.

Classes in person would also be suspended in all campuses of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) from March 16-29, according to a memo by UPV Chancellor Ricardo Babaran.

Students on UPV campuses in Tacloban City, Iloilo City and Miag-ao town in Iloilo had been advised to go home.

Babaran said in the memo that the resumption of classes in person will depend on the advice of the Department of Health and local government units in places that host UPV campuses.

Teachers and students had also been advised to migrate to online and virtual classrooms during the suspension of classroom-based classes.

Except for essential services, work has also been suspended from March 16 to 20 for the disinfection of classrooms and offices.

Edited by TSB