Bohol’s most populated school goes on lockdown after 14 teachers test positive for coronavirus

Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School in Tagbilaran City, Bohol has been placed on lockdown after 14 teachers tested positive for COVID-19. (Leo Udtohan/Inquirer Visayas)

TAGBILARAN CITY—At least 14 teachers tested positive for SARS Cov2, the virus that causes COVID-19, disrupting the distribution of learning modules in a public high school in the city.

Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School (DCPNHS), Bohol province’s most populated school, was placed on lockdown for 14 days starting on Feb. 18 to prevent transmission of the virus.

Maurine Castaño, school principal, said 10 of the teachers were from Tagbilaran City, including the first to test positive for the virus, while the rest were from different towns in Bohol.

One was admitted in a private hospital while 13 were sent to quarantine facilities.

Castaño said the first patient already showed symptoms of COVID-19 on Feb, 6 and still went to school on Feb. 8 and 9.

All the other 13 teachers, who tested positive, stayed with the first patient inside the air-conditioned Grade 7 faculty room during distribution of learning modules.

Grade 7 has 50 teaching staffers with at least 1,300 students.

DCPNHS, the catch basin of learners in Tagbilaran City and nearby towns, has 7,399 students and 284 teaching and non-teaching personnel.

“The modules can wait. We have to ensure everyone’s safety first. We have to remember that life, once lost, cannot be recovered,” said Castaño who appealed to parents and students for understanding and cooperation.

Workers of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) already disinfected the entire school compound.

School operations will resume after clearance had been given by the city Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on COVID-19.

As of Monday (Feb. 22), the province of Bohol has 1,036 COVID-19 cases with 918 recoveries and 20 deaths.