465 studes, teachers now on 14-day quarantine

By URIEL C. QUILINGUING
Contributing Editor

DEPARTMENT of Education officials here confirmed over the weekend that all 465 students and teachers, who participated in the National Schools Press Conference and National Festival of Talents held separately in Tuguegarao, Cagayan and Ilagan, Isabela that ended Friday, have started home quarantine for two weeks.

English education program specialist Angelina Buaron, Deped-10’s journalism coordinator, said the 287 delegates to the NSPC were informed earlier of the self-quarantine health protocol requirement due to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

“All, including myself, will not be required to personally report to office, the teachers to schools and students to their classes until the end of 14 days,” said Buaron and that the voluntary isolation will end on the 28^th of this month.

The same precautionary measure against the Covid contagion will be observed by the 178 learners and their teacher-coaches from this year’s NFOT, according to the regional music, arts and culture coordinator Bienvenido Tagolimot Jr., an education program specialist at Deped-10.

Tagolimot who, like Buaron, had to ensure the safety and health conditions of students and teachers under their watch, experienced changes in flight schedules, routes and even modes of transportation due to the rush and restrictions on land, water and air travels that have taken effect.

All the 465 NSPC and NFOT participants from Region 10 are considered persons under monitoring, those individuals who have travel history from places with Covid-19 patients and may have been exposed to the novel corona virus.

However, schools division superintendent Cherry Mae Limbaco in this city said the 14-day home quarantine the students and teachers have to undergo after possible exposure to the corona virus should not affect the learning process, particularly on the remaining days before the school year ends.

Limbaco said teachers would still be required to perform their tasks while learners must take the last quarter examinations on-line.

Division journalism coordinator Sol Pil-Aceron said going home from the NSPC in Tuguegarao was most challenging for her and all the 56-member delegation composed of 39 campus journalists, 15 coaches and two supervisors.

Elsewhere in the region, Ozamiz City schools division superintendent Jean Veloso said their 52 NSPC participants, aside from NFOT delegates, will undergo 14-day home quarantine and would be monitored daily by health personnel since they are considered PUMs.

“Our nurses and doctors are standing-by at the airport/seaport to check them the moment they arrive and to give them brief instructions about home/self-quarantine as PUM,” said Veloso, adding that only then “they could be sent home directly to limit their contact with other people except their direct family of course.”

She said teachers and supervisors who are among the PUM shall stay at home with pay, performing their tasks online.    

In Gingoog, 40 students and teachers, including 11 parents, who composed the city’s delegation to the NSPC voluntarily subjected themselves to home quarantine, according to division journalism coordinator Levie Llemit.

Meanwhile, a briefer from the DOH-10 posted online last Sunday (March 15) showed 71 persons are on home-quarantine while 60 others have already completed the 14-day requirement, since Jan. 22, this year.

DOH-10 describes PUMs as asymptomatic patients with appropriate exposure history who are advised to undergo home quarantine for 14 days while the development of symptoms is being regularly monitored.

PUMs are required to inform the DOH-10’s epidemiology and surveillance unit through mobile phone 09177143834. They are required to accomplish a form but Covid-19 testing is not required.