MASANTOL -- Mayor Danilo Guintu of this town expressed support on the call to suspend physical classes until a vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is available.
The town has no COVID 19 cases but Guintu said the threat of the virus among children still lingers if face-to-face classes will push through in the next few months.
“Only one student who is infected of Covid-19 coughs or sneezes or even have a simple contact with other students, the class and the whole school community is already in peril. I think that is too much of a risk for the children,” he said.
Instead of physical schooling, Guintu said distance learning via online classes may suffice for the meantime until a vaccine is developed and made available to public.
He stressed that the local government is ready to provide assistance to schools and other learning facilities, and students for the distance learning set-up to ensure that education of children will not be hampered.
“I will be meeting with school heads in the coming days to discuss what resources the teachers and students need to make this special set-up of learning more effective. The local government is ready to partner with the Department of Education (DepEd) to ensure that our children can learn while still being safe in their houses, he said.
But should the national government decides to push through with physical classes prior to release of Covid-19 vaccine, Guintu said a strict health protocol will be implemented on all schools in town to safeguard the children, teachers and parents.
“The final call will still be up to President Duterte and DepEd so all we can do is be ready for whatever decision they arrive into. Our main concern here is the safety of our children because we know the threat of Covid-19 not only on our physical health but also on our mental wellness, he said.