Safety measures vs nCoV ordered

THE Department of Education (DepEd) has ordered school officials to strengthen the promotion of awareness and precautionary measures for schools and their immediate communities following the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection in the Philippines.

In a statement issued by Deped yesterday, even before the confirmation of the first nCoV case, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones has been calling on schools and coordinating with the Department of Health (DoH) officials for the implementation of DoH guidelines, particularly on any decision for any school lockdown in specific communities should a need arise.

Education  Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said, Briones is calling on Deped officials in the affected regions to cooperate with the DoH teams who are now engaged in the task of tracing individuals who were in contact with  and may have been exposed to the confirmed patient during her visit.

“This is for the benefit not only of our schools and learners but of the communities as well.  The Secretary has been  in direct communication  with the DoH Secretary as well as the health officers in the affected regions and communities visited by the confirmed patient since last night,“ DepEd said in a statement.

The DepEd added that nCov is a  matter of serious and urgent concern. We stand ready to contribute to the overall Philippine government efforts for the management of this public health situation, and look to DoH for guidance on how we can best help. At this point, the situation is unfolding, and we do not want to contribute to any confusion, panic or false information.”

The DepEd has also directed the regions and schools to continue extending their fullest cooperation to DoH on the nCoV situation.