ILOILO – To ensure that students are protected against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) when face-to-face classes return, the Iloilo provincial government will begin the vaccination rollout in state universities and colleges (SUCs).
The Provincial Health Office (PHO) and its municipal counterparts will target the campuses of West Visayas State University (WVSU) and Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College (NIPSC), said Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
Here’s the initial schedule of the roll out, according to PHO:
* WVSU-Janiuay Campus – Nov. 22
* NIPSC-Estancia Campus – Nov. 23
* WVSU-Pototan Campus – Nov. 24
The vaccination team will also visit the campuses of Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U) and Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF).
Students who would be physically reporting to class will be prioritized, said Defensor.
According to Defensor, the heads of the SUCs have “positively responded.”
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved the proposal of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to open campuses in areas below Alert Level 3 at an indoor venue capacity of 50 percent.
Phase 1 of the implementation will be from December 2021 onward. During this phase, all higher education institutions (HEIs) in areas under Alert Level 2 may apply for limited face-to-face classes.
Phase 2 will start in January 2022. In this phase, HEIs in areas under Alert Level 3 may apply for limited face-to-face classes.
Classes in all levels have been conducted remotely since March 2020 when the pandemic hit the country./PN
