Olongapo City declares ‘academic break’ amid virus surge

OLONGAPO CITY — The schools division office of the Department of Education (DepEd) here has declared a two-week academic break for public and private schools from kindergarten to senior high school (K-12) as the city continues to experience a surge in COVID-19 cases.

In an announcement on Friday, January 14, the local DepEd office and the city government said the break will run from January 17 to 28 to allow students and teachers to maintain their physical and mental well-being amid the new wave of infections.

The local government said colleges in the city have the discretion to suspend their classes.

As of Friday, the city has recorded 441 active cases with the addition of 90 patients that day. Most of these cases had been fully vaccinated against the viral disease.

In Zambales, classes from elementary to senior high school have also been suspended from January 17 to 19.

According to a memorandum issued by the schools division office of Zambales, the move was in consideration of the students’ and teachers’ health amid the virus surge.