DOH open to resumption of face-to-face classes

Limited face- to- face classes maybe considered in areas with zero cases of COVID-19 or with minimal risk for virus transmission, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said yesterday.

“My position on the matter is if the place is COVID- free for two or four weeks, I’m not sure, but zero case, no risk halos or low risk, then we can consider,” Duque said in a television interview.

He responded to a question on factors that would make him recommend the resumption of physical classes to President Duterte.

“Very low risk or minimal risk – I think that should be considered in the decision whether face-toface classes will be allowed. But minimum health

standards must always be observed,” Duque said.

Senators have called for the resumption of face-to-face learning, but Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año believed that bringing back students to school could lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) yesterday started inspecting tertiary schools that are retrofitting their campuses for the possible conduct of limited face-to-face classes next semester.

CHED chairman J. Prospero De Vera III and National Task Force on COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. led the inspection of the Our Lady of Fatima University in Valenzuela City.

De Vera clarified that they have not yet issued the guidelines for face-to-face classes in universities and colleges, saying they are conducting the ocular inspection to look for best practices that others may adopt should they decide to conduct physical classes.

“The approval of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) on face-toface classes in universities has not been issued because it is a continuing process,” he added.

De Vera said the policy is being crafted in consultation with local governments and officials of private and public tertiary institutions.

“While the commission has adopted in principle the guidelines, it continues to be a set of rules that needs refining,” he said.

The CHED chief stressed that face-to-face classes in low-risk areas is an option and not a requirement for academic institutions.

De Vera said the physical reopening of schools, once allowed, will happen very slowly and would depend on the degree program.

“Maybe we can start only with the health-related programs – medicine, nursing, physical therapy. Maybe next will be the students with laboratory subjects,” he said.

Earlier, De Vera said the “realistic implementation” of faceto-face classes in low-risk areas would be in January 2021 or the start of the second semester.

The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) warned the Department of Education ( DepEd) against resuming face-to-face classes amid the pandemic.

ULAP president and Quirino Gov. Dakila Cua said proposals to resume in- person classes is “premature,” given that there is still no viable plan that would ensure the safety of students in classrooms.

Cua said the education department should first consult with health experts before considering resuming face-to-face classes.