Reported COVID- The Department of Education’s (DepEd) “negligence” and “poor health precautions” are to blame for 19 cases on campuses, which the DepEd has already confirmed, according to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT).
When a COVID-19 case is reported, the committee observed that regulations are frequently unclear on college campuses.
ACT chairperson Vladimer Quetua noted, “Teachers who have taught in a class where there was a positive case are still required to teach in other sections. Then those who have symptoms or exposure need to spend for the RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test [so their absence can be] excused… because [this] might be deducted from their salary.”
He said that the majority of teachers lack sick leave credits.
Attorney Michael Poa, a spokeswoman for DepEd, confirmed that there were coronavirus cases in schools and described this development as “expected.”
In a press conference last Friday, he said, “What we want to avoid, that’s why we’re closely monitoring [the situation], is to have a surge in COVID-19 cases.”
DepEd instructed the schools to create their own surveillance systems and work closely with regional health authorities through Order No. 39.
But with that policy, “DepEd is absolved of any responsibility over infection in schools,” ACT exprressed.
Quetua added that the department had only just released that directive, just “a month into face-to-face [lessons].”
The agency’s earlier health protocols, according to ACT, were a “recipe for disaster” because they only included the most basic requirements, like the requirement to wear face masks. For example, they did not previously specify any standard for classroom ventilation other than opening doors and windows.
The education system is preparing for full-time in-person lessons by November, according to Quetua, who argued that these steps must be strengthened.
Furthermore, Quetua said, “The government has to invest in the health and safety of our teachers and learners if it wants education to effectively recover through the 100 percent resumption of in-person learning.”
Case Update
According to the Department of Health, the number of new COVID-19 cases decreased to a seven-day average of 2,288, which is 10% fewer than the 2,556 daily average cases from the prior week (DOH).
The number of coronavirus patients who are extremely or critically unwell has increased to 753 as a result of four severe or critical cases being hospitalized last week.
While the number of cases that were found dropped, the number of COVID-19 fatalities increased as the DOH reported 228 more deaths that happened between September of this year and the same month a year earlier.
Out of 3.95 million verified cases, the official coronavirus mortality toll for the nation was 63,013 cases.
There are presently 28,872 active cases, meaning those who have the virus still in their bodies.
However, with 24.3 percent of ICU (intensive care unit) beds and 26.2 percent of non-ICU beds occupied, the country’s healthcare utilization rate remained low risk.
93.7 percent of the target number of 78.1 million people have received all of their recommended vaccinations, or 73.1 million people.
Only 19.7 million people, nevertheless, have taken advantage of booster shots.
The older population has received all of their initial COVID-19 doses in about 78.5 percent of cases.
