DepEd: Joint memo to keep schools from becoming COVID-19 quarantine centers

Public schools will no longer be used as COVID-19 quarantine and isolation centers neither will they be used as evacuation centers for over three weeks, once a joint memorandum is issued by three government departments.

The Department of Education, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Budget and Management will issue the said memo on the use of school buildings as emergency shelters, DepEd spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said on Tuesday.

"Dito po sa JMC na ‘to, gusto po nating masiguro na ang ating paaralan ay hindi magagamit as isolation facility or quarantine facility,” Poa said.

“Maliban po diyan, as evacuation center, hindi rin po pwedeng long stay. Hindi po pwedeng lumagpas sa three weeks ang paggamit sa ating paaralan as evacuation centers," he added.

(In our JMC, we want to ensure that our school will not be used as an isolation facility or quarantine facility. Using the schools as evacuation centers for too long will also no longer be allowed. Evacuation in schools may not exceed three weeks. This is to ensure that going forward, our school will no longer be used as isolation centers or quarantine facilities.)

Department of Health officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the DOH did not support schools being used as COVID-19 quarantine or isolation facilities as face-to-face classes would already resume.

“Since we’ve allowed home quarantine, the need these kind of outside or external quarantine and isolation facilities comes of less of importance for the government,” Vergeire said.

DepEd has been coordinating with the DOH to roll out a mobile COVID-19 vaccination and organize counseling sessions among unvaccinated learners in schools.

On Monday, DepEd said that unvaccinated teachers were now allowed to teach in classrooms during the resumption of in-person classes. —NB, GMA News