Medical schools: In-person classes possible

Administrators of three medical schools on Friday expressed that in-person learning is possible as long as proper systems are in place to deal with different levels of safety needs across their colleges. The University of the Philippines (UP) College of Medicine, Our Lady of Fatima University and Centro Escolar University are among the institutions allowed to gradually conduct in-person classes for selected health-related degree programs. Dr. Carmencita Padilla, chancellor of the UP College of Medicine, said they had to revise their guidelines many times to ensure that their students, employees and the general public were protected. These measures include setting up isolation rooms for students or staff with COVID-19 symptoms, establishing common and outdoor eating places, requiring reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests and retrofitting their classrooms. —Mariejo S. Ramos