A student who attended a face-to-face class in a private school in Cauayan City, Isabela tested positive for COVID-19, said Mayor Bernard Faustino Dy, Friday.
The mayor said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV that the student is now admitted to an isolation facility and is experiencing mild symptoms.
Dy added more than 20 other students had attended the said face-to-face classes last weekend.
Meanwhile, the mayor said the local government of Cauayan City and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are already investigating the incident.
“Mayroon po kaming currently iniimbestigahan together with CHED dahil apparently nagkaroon ng face-to-face [class] but it was not a normal school time, parang Sunday yata ginawa’ yon so ito’y parang remedial class,” Dy said.
Dy said CHED did not authorize the private school to hold face-to-face classes.
“Hindi in-allow ng CHED that’s why iniimbestigahan po namin dahil umabot rin sa kanila ‘yong report at ‘yon nga po, walang pahintulot mula sa LGU or sa CHED,” he added.
The mayor added the school’s permit to operate could be revoked because of the incident.
Currently, Cauayan City, which is under a modified general community quarantine, has a total of 23 COVID-19 cases.
Also read: DepEd: Schools to accept late enrollees until September
Face-to-face classes guidelines
In July, Malacañang announced that limited face-to-face classes would be allowed starting January 2021, subject to the guidelines given by the government:
- Face-to-face classes will be allowed only in low-risk areas, or those already at least under modified general community quarantine or in the transition phase between general community quarantine and the new normal.
- Face-to-face classes will be allowed in January 2021, or the third quarter of the school year. Private schools that have started limited face-to-face classes last June will be allowed to continue.
- Decisions to allow limited, localized face-to-face classes will be made with due coordination between the Department of Education, the concerned local government units, and the local health authorities.
- Stringent health standards will be followed.
- Pilot testing and inspection jointly with the National Task Force Against COVID-19 for the observance of required health standards and protocols