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Sara asks DOH to spare teachers from vax duties —Vergeire


Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte has asked the Department of Health (DOH) to spare the teachers from taking part in the vaccination program in schools to allow them to focus on their classes when the new school year opens this month.

"Kanina naibilin ni madam Vice President sa atin itong sinasabi niyang mobile... ang tagubilin niya sana huwag muna natin magamit ang mga guro para sa vaccination program ng eskwelahan dahil sila ay marami ring task during the start of the school," DOH officer-in-charge Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing on Friday.

"Kaya ang sabi ko sa kanya we will be coordinating with the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government), so that the local government healthcare workers will be the ones to do the vaccination at yung bakunahan sila ang mag-organisa dito sa mga eskwelahan," she added.

Schools have been identified as venues for the roll out of the government's intensified campaign to vaccinate and give booster shots to the population to stem COVID-19.  

Vergeire said the department is coordinating with officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) to come up with the health protocols for the opening of face-to-face classes this August.

"Unang una gusto natin ipahatid sa bawat isa na mayroon tayong tinatawag na healthy learning institutions, inumpisahan na po natin ito kung saan kasama ang pagbabakuna ng COVID-19 and other types of immunization for children dito sa healthy learning institutions,” she said.

“Pinagusapan na rin po kung ano yung magiging safety protocols natin for our children when they go back to school so yun pa rin po ang ating pinagusapan about ventilation dapat maayos po yung daloy ng hangin sa bawat classroom, kailangan nakasuot ng mask ang ating mga kabataan pati na rin ang teachers at non-teaching personnel pinagusapan din yung schedule pagpupunta sa lugar sa kanilang skwelahan,” she added.

As part of the health protocols, Vergeire said there would be safety officers in schools to monitor the students, teachers and non-teaching personnel.

DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa earlier said that COVID-19 vaccination is still not mandatory for students who will be participating in the face-to-face classes.

Poa said at least 5.6 million learners nationwide are now enrolled for the School Year 2022 to 2023.

Of this number, he said 3.3 million students registered on the first day of enrollment alone which started on Monday, July 25 until August 22.—LDF, GMA News

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