Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.
The government will allow face-to-face classes on a case-to-case basis, chief implementer of the National Action Plan against Covid-19 Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday.
In a Laging Handa briefing, Galvez said campuses that would reopen should be inspected first by authorities.
“Iyong tinatawag nating face-to-face classes is tinatawag nating case-to-case basis; hindi pupuwede sila po na mag-open hanggang hindi po natin na-inspect,” he said.
Galvez, who is also the country’s vaccine czar, made the statement after he joined a team that inspected the Valenzuela campus of Our Lady of Fatima University in Valenzuela City, which underwent a “reconfiguration.”
“Ang gagawin lang po namin ay we will inspect iyong facility so that there is a third party that will really validate if they follow the minimum health standard at saka iyong reengineering at reconfiguration ay nagawa ayon sa sinasaad ng ating Department of Health sa minimum health standard protocols,” he said.
Galvez said he preferred specifically medical schools to resume physical classes.
“Kaya ito po, iyong face-to-face maganda po na maibalik po iyon lalo na sa mga tinatawag na medical schools at saka iyong mga medical courses para magkaroon tayo ng tinatawag na relief para sa ating mga health workers,” he explained.
For basic education learners, Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said only President Rodrigo Duterte can decide on the resumption of face-to-face classes.
Before classes this academic year opened nationwide, Duterte made the affirmation that he would not allow physical classes until a Covid-19 vaccine becomes available to Filipinos. John Ezekiel J. Hirro