The Manila Times

Health safety officers proposed in schools

JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Saturday, suggested assigning health safety officers in schools in view of the resumption of physical classes to help safeguard the welfare of students, teachers and school personnel, and to curb the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said that while he agrees with the resumption of face-to-face classes in select areas, the government must prioritize the health and safety of the students.

“Always health and life ang priority natin dahil tumataas na naman ang kaso [ng Covid-19] sa ngayon (Health and life remain to be our priority because of recurring high number of Covid-19 cases),” he added.

Go then floated the idea of assigning health safety officers in schools to check on the safety of the students, teachers, and school personnel.

“Recently, tatlong senador ang nag-positive sa Covid. Patunay na tumataas na naman ang kaso, kaya doble ingat tayo at pag-aralan natin nang mabuti (Recently, three senators tested positive for Covid. This is a proof that Covid is again rising. We have to be doubly careful and study the situation carefully),” he reiterated.

“Dapat meron tayong ilagay na… health officer sa eskwelahan… to check na safe ba talaga ang mga bata, safe ang mga teacher, at dapat po magpabakuna ang lahat (We should

assign health officers in schools to ensure that the children and their teachers are safe, and everybody has to be vaccinated),” he added.

The start of classes is set on August 22 and shall last until July 7, 2023, according to Department of Education Order 034, s. 2022. The options to have five-day in-person classes, blended learning modality or full distance learning will be allowed only until Oct. 31, 2022.

Starting Nov. 2, 2022, all public and private schools are expected to transition to the usual five-day inperson classes.

Meanwhile, in light of the rising Covid-19 cases in the country as well as other emerging health threats such as monkeypox, Go said that the Senate health committee will conduct a public hearing on Monday, August 15, to discuss with relevant authorities the updates on the government’s Covid-19 pandemic response, including reports on vaccine wastage, and other health concerns such as the measures set to prevent the spread of monkeypox.

“Sa darating po na Lunes, magkakaroon po ng hearing, along with the organizational meeting na ipinatawag ng Committee on Health ay ididinig po namin ang sinasabing mga nasayang na vaccine na nabili ng gobyerno (We will be conducting a hearing on Monday, along with the organizational meeting called by the Committee on Health to hear the reported wasted vaccine purchased by the government),” said Go.

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2022-08-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://manilatimes.pressreader.com/article/281560884574833

The Manila Times