DepEd pressed for data on COVID cases in schools

DepEd logo / AFP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Dr. Tony Leachon, a public health expert and former adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19, on Monday pressed the Department of Education (DepEd) to release the data on COVID-19 infections on campuses, a week before the full implementation of in-person classes in public schools on Nov. 2.

“For the safety of the kids, we need to be transparent about our data … No one wants to skip school but how can we protect ourselves if we’re not empowered, educated and engaged about our data?” Leachon said in a virtual presser.

“We have long been waiting [for the COVID-19 data] but we still can’t see anything. This should be transparent and this should be discussed,” he added.

While the DepEd earlier confirmed receiving reports about students, teachers, and nonteaching personnel who tested positive for the virus, it refused to disclose any data to avoid giving conflicting figures.

Instead, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said that it should be up to the local governments to confirm any clustering of COVID-19 cases during the conduct of in-person classes.

—JANE BAUTISTA

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