DepEd: Students who contract COVID-19 during in-person classes are excused

MANILA, Philippines — Students who contract COVID-19 once face-to-face classes start will be excused from their classes, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday.

DepEd spokesman Michael Poa was responding to the query on assistance the DepEd will give to students being infected with COVID-19 once in-person classes start.

“Doon sa assistance sa mga estudyante, basically, ang magagawa lang natin is ma-excuse sila sa classes nila as soon as may sintomas,” he said in a public briefing.

(For the assistance to students, basically, what we can do is to excuse them from their classes as soon as they exhibit symptoms.)

Poa called on parents not to let their children go to school once they have symptoms of COVID-19.

He added that children with COVID-19 can switch to modular or online learning, depending on their case.

“Once na pumasok sila at may mga sintomas, they will be automatically excused from class and switch to either to modular learning or online learning, depende sa sitwasyon at depende sa kalagayan nila,” he said.

(Once they go to school and have symptoms, they will be automatically excused from class and switch to either modular or online learning.)

Poa said DepEd, with the help of the Department of Health, is encouraging counseling for students and parents who are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19.

DepEd has also ordered schools to develop their own infection containment plan or strategies to manage students who contract COVID-19.

The education bureau earlier said 90% of the over 47,000 public schools in the country are expected to hold face-to-face classes come August 22, Monday, while most private schools will remain using blended learning mode.

The department earlier ordered all public and private schools to hold five-day in-person classes starting November this year.

READ: 90% of public schools to hold in-person classes starting Aug. 22

je/abc