FEW DAYS after the President declared Proclamation 922 which signals the state of public health emergency that allows government agencies to implement mandatory reporting, intensify government response and measures, and enforce quarantine and disease control prevention measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the issue of using the classrooms as an isolation area for those identified patients under investigation (PUIs) (formerly persons under monitoring who developed COVID 19 symptoms) also came.
In her official statement released by the Department and came out in different print and broadcast media, Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones said that the Department of Education (DepEd) is cooperating as fully as possible with the decisions of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the Cabinet concerning the Covid-19.
The Cabinet in a previous meeting, she said, agreed that specific hospitals and specific health facilities will be identified to deal specifically with Covid-19 patients.
She continued that the matter of utilization of classrooms has been discussed earlier several times in the IATF. The agreement was that any decisions concerning schools should be made in consultation with the Department of Education and in cooperation with DepEd officials on the ground under specific conditions.
Secretary Briones continued that using schools as isolation sites may not be ideal and might even “exacerbate” the current situation. She said that all are for the protection of the general public and she is afraid to say that the schools may not have the capacity to adhere to the standards set by the DOH (Department of Health).
In another development, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said that a total of 125 evacuation centers from across the country, which will be turned into health facilities, are ready to accommodate thousands of Filipinos should they be suspected to be afflicted with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19)
Villar also noted that 110 evacuation centers are already being prepared for conversion. The said facilities will be able cater to the needs of some 4,620 patients, “considering the 12-square meter per patient latest safety measure of the Department of Health (DOH).”
DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain also added that aside from the existing 110 centers, they are also looking forward to convert 15 more units, which will be able to accommodate 630 patients.
On the other hand, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) through Secretary Eduardo Año issued Memorandum Circular 062, s. 2020 released on March 21, 2020 that directed all local government units to exclude schools in their list of facilities to be utilized as quarantine centers or isolation areas. It was stated in the circular (Section 5.1.10) that unless DepEd allow and explicitly follow strict guidelines that classrooms can be used as quarantine sites.
This Corner hopes that the virus will be contained and will not reach to the point that in extreme cases that classrooms will already be used as quarantine sites (God forbid) and that the 14-day quarantine and lockdown being implemented will be enough to mitigate the spread of the disease.