DepEd urged to postpone graduation rites amid COVID-19 fears

The Department of Education (DepEd) should postpone the scheduled graduation rites this month as a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday.

"I strongly urge the Deped to suspend the graduation in high school and moving up activities in junior high school and also daycare graduation," Gatchalian said in a chance interview.

He added that an estimated three million senior high school students are expected to graduate this school year.

"Alam naman natin pag graduation 'yung mga magulang from abroad bumabalik talaga for that graduation... We're minimizing movement," he added.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, including those considered as locally transmitted, rose to 20 on Monday.

President Rodrigo Duterte has already declared a state of public health emergency.  —NB, GMA News