Palace: Duterte may consider trial run of limited in-person classes

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte may consider allowing the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes given that there’s still no proof of community transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variant in the country, Malacañang said Friday.

Last year, the President canceled the dry run of face-to-face classes due to the threat of the new coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom.

“Inaasahan naman po natin na baka naman po i-consider ng Presidente na yung limited pilot face-to-face dahil tayo na lang po ang bansa na hindi pa bumabalik sa face-to-face dahil yung iba, miski isang oras sa isang araw, tatlong oras sa isang linggo ay bumabalik na po,”presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview on Teleradyo.

(We are expecting that the President might now consider the limited pilot face-to-face classes because we’re the only country that hasn’t resumed face-to-face classes. Other countries do it even for just an hour in a day or three hours in a week.)

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. File photo from PTV video

“Ngayon po nakita natin na hindi naman malawak ang pagpasok ng new variant sa atin. Sa ngayon po, parang wala pa pong ebidensya ng community transmission at maski mas nakakahawa siya, alam naman natin na ang panlaban pa rin natin ay mask, hugas at iwas,” Roque added.

(Right now, we’re seeing that the entry of the new variant in the country is not extensive. There’s no evidence yet that there is community transmission and although it’s said to be more transmissible, we know that we can fight against it by hand washing, wearing masks and avoiding it.)

The Department of Health has said it still does not have “strong evidence” to conclude that there is community transmission of the more contagious coronavirus variant in the country.

The Philippines has so far recorded 44 cases of the Covid-19 variant.  

Meanwhile, the Department of Education said it will recommend anew the resumption of limited in-person classes in areas of the country that are low-risk of Covid-19 transmission.

President Duterte’s Cabinet is expected to tackle the issue in a meeting set on Monday, Feb. 22.

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