The vaccination rate among personnel and students in higher education institutions (HEIs) is very high, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) reported on Monday.
CHEd Chairman Prospero de Vera III said 87.44 percent of HEI employees had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose.
“Ninety-six percent sa kanila fully vaccinated at four percent na lang ang partially vaccinated. Ito po ay mas mataas kaysa sa ating national average,” de Vera told President Rodrigo Duterte in his “Talk to the People” address.
“Sa mga estudyante naman, out of 4.1 million students in colleges and universities, 63 percent na po ang bakunado,” he added.
De Vera said that prior to the latest surge in Covid-19 cases, several HEIs nationwide were supposed to start limited face-to-face classes in January.
“Handa na at nakapagretrofit na ang mga eskwelahan. Kaya lang nga tumaas ang Covid incidence or Covid-infection at naging Alert Level 3 ang maraming mga lugar sa Pilipinas,” he said.
“Kaya’t ang ating utos sa mga pamantasan ay magbukas kung sila ay handa, magkonsulta sa kanilang local governments, magkonsulta sa kanilang mga estudyante at faculty, at tingnan ang kanilang condition on the ground,” he added.
Most schools located in Alert Level 3 areas will start in-person classes in February, de Vera said.
Earlier, the CHEd announced that the second phase of the gradual resumption of limited face-to-face classes in Alert Level 3 areas would start on Jan. 31.
Meanwhile, HEIs in areas under Alert Level 2 may start limited F2F classes anytime. John Ezekiel J. Hirro