MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) said it was “not yet right” to suspend classes despite the country reporting six cases already of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
DOH secretary Francisco Duque III issued the statement in a radio interview yesterday after Navotas City’s Mayor Toby Tiangco suggested cancelling classes from March 9 and give students automatic passing grades as a precautionary move.
“Hindi pa tama iyon,” Duque said over DZMM. “Wala namanng ebidensya na meron silang transmission. Diskarte na nila iyan, desisyon na nila iyan, at sila naman ang mananagot din sa kanilang mga desisyon.”
Tiangco on Saturday announced the suspension of Monday’s classes in his city.
Cainta and Taytay town in Rizal made similar announcements, too.
The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier said it was ready to respond to the COVID-19 threat based on the advisory of the DOH-Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Over the weekend, it said it would wait for a “definite advisory” from the task force which is scheduled to meet this Monday.
“DepEd is ready to implement all necessary proportionate response to the latest developments upon receipt of the definitive advisory from the task force,” DepEd said.
In February, DepEd said it would allow the suspension of classes in schools and areas where there wuld be confirmed cases of the virus.
Education secretary Leonor Briones, for her part, was also seeking inputs from the DOH for guidelines on how to conduct the National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) and National Festival of Talents (NFOT) in light of the COVID-19 cases.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday declared a state of public health emergency, upon the recommendation of DOH./PN
