MANILA, Philippines — Limited face-to-face classes that were earlier allowed will immediately be stopped if one student gets infected with COVID-19, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said Tuesday.
“Ang guidelines nito pag may nagpositive sa mga estudyante, automatic itinitigil ang limited face-to-face [classes]. Hindi question ang kung ilan. Kung meron, automatic ititigil,” CHED chairperson Prospero De Vera III said in a televised briefing.
(The guidelines for this is that if there’s one who tested positive among students, limited face-to-face classes will automatically be stopped. It’s not a question of how many. If there is any, it will automatically be stopped.)
But De Vera noted that some universities that already held limited in-person classes reported zero transmission among their students.
“Halimbawa ang UP [University of the Philippines College of Medicine, ang kanilang mga estudyante sa first two months ng limited face-to-face nila, ang transmission ay zero. Ibig sabihin, kung susundin talaga yung guidelines, ligtas ang mga estudyante,” De Vera said.
(For example, the UP College of Medicine’s first two months of limited face-to-face classes had zero transmission. It just means that if we follow the guidelines, students will be safe.)
Some 24 higher education institutions (HEIs) were allowed to conduct limited face-to-face classes for its health-related programs starting the second semester of School Year 2020-2021.
De Vera noted HEIs in Metro Manila and adjacent provinces under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) already pulled out their clinical interns and stopped in-person classes even before the strictest lockdown measure was declared.
“Sa ibang lugar sa Pilipinas na hindi naka-ECQ, doon mayroon pang limited face-to-face. Kasama iyan sa guidelines ng CHED at DOH [Department of Health] na kapag tumataas ng incidence, ititigil muna,” De Vera added.
(In other areas of the Philippines that are not under ECQ, there are still limited face-to-face classes. That is among the guidelines of CHED and the DOH. If the incidence of COVID-19 rises, it will be stopped temporarily.)