A health worker prepares a dose of Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination for residents in Mandaluyong on July 15, 2021. | File photo from AFP
CEBU CITY, Philippines – If it meant allowing more schools to return to face-to-face classes, the Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7) urged the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) to start inoculating young adults.
Dr. Salustiano Jimenez, DepEd-7 director, said the ongoing vaccination drive against COVID-19 would be a great help for the education sector.
“To ensure the safety of everyone, it’s better if our students who will be going back for face-to-face classes will also be vaccinated. Not only our teachers,” Jimenez said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Jimenez also said he consulted with the regional health office on their appeal.
“When we had a talk with Director Bernadas he told me kinahanglan kuno og 50 percent sa atoang elderly nga magbapabakuna una masugdan ang atoang 12 to 17 years old,” he said.
“That’s why I requested and appealed, much better pwede dili lang maghuwat og magpabakuna ang mga tigulang ayha bakunahan ang mga bata kay og mga tigulang usually mag stay sa ilang balay ang mga bata very active, very energetic, they need to go out, if naa sila sa balay maburyong, stress na, mental stress grabe because nature sa bata nga molihok gyud, mo go out gyud sa peers and all”, he added.
The pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes in the country will start this November 15.
In Central Visayas, a total of eight schools passed the inspection by the Department of Health (DOH).
All of these are public schools in Cebu province.
These are Basak Elementary School of Samboan, Mahanlud Elementary School of Malabuyoc, Cabagdalan Elementary School in Balamban, Luyongbaybay Elementary School in Bantayan, Cañang-Marcelo Luna National High School in Oslob, Busay National High School in Moalboal, Pilar National High School in Pilar isla sa Camotes, and Siocon Elementary School in Bogo City.
DepEd also reported that as of October 13, a total of 65 out of 96 personnel in Central Visayas, both teaching and non-teaching, who were assigned to the selected schools have already been vaccinated.
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