By Alec Go
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said the COVID-19 infection rate among all limited face-to-face classes students nationwide is very low and no deaths were reported.
Speaking at the Aug. 31 Laging Handa briefing, CHED chairperson J. Prospero de Vera III said there are more than 9,000 students physically attending classes from 118 approved medical and health educational institutions.
“The infection rate was very, very low. It is less than 1%, it is .03% of the students got infected. All of the students gumaling na, walang namatay. So that means, our guidelines are working,” he said.
“It’s very, very low compared to the infection rate outside of the universities and all the students were asymptomatic. Meaning, nobody among the students was hospitalized,” he added.
He said 76% of the students and 95% of their faculty personnel reporting physically have been vaccinated for “another layer of protection.”
He said students are inclined to return to school due to finish their courses and eventually take the licensure examinations. However, President Duterte has yet to decide on their proposal to allow limited physical classes for engineering, maritime, and hospitality courses.
Call to move medical boards
The official said there are varying sentiments from concerned sectors on the appeal to postpone the licensure examination for medical courses.
“Ang importante naman ay dapat ligtas iyong mga kukuha ng examination at kailangang ipagpatuloy ito, kasi mayroong mga estudyante na gustong makatapos, gustong maghanapbuhay at saka kailangan natin ng additional health workers,” he said.
Meanwhile, he reported that schools have welcomed their proposal to use health allied courses’ students and those that have yet to pass their board exams as additional vaccinators. The government has yet to issue guidelines on the matter. – rir
