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2-week quarantine 'health break' in Alert Level 3 schools urged

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Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Students observe safety protocol inside the Ricardo P Cruz St. Elementary School in Taguig City, during the first day of the pilot face-to-face classes in the National Capital Region on December 06, 2021. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/01/11/20211206-face-to-face-class-taguig-jc-001122040.jpg"/><figcaption>Students observe safety protocol inside the Ricardo P Cruz St. Elementary School in Taguig City, during the first day of the pilot face-to-face classes in the National Capital Region on December 06, 2021. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>Thousands of teachers report flu-like symptoms - ACT</strong></div><p>MANILA (UPDATE) — A teachers&#x27; group on Tuesday called on the government to declare a 2-week &quot;health break&quot; in schools under Alert Level 3 as the country grappled with a resurgence in COVID-19 infections.</p><p>The Alliance of Concerned Teachers made the appeal after its chapter in the National Capital Region conducted a survey involving 7,448 public school teachers, which found that 55.1 percent of respondents are experiencing flu symptoms.</p><p>&quot;Teachers and students alike are struggling to keep holding classes amid this omicron-driven surge,&quot; ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio said in a statement, referring to the COVID-19 variant suspected of causing the surge.</p><p>&quot;Either we’re sick or we’re taking care of family members who are. It’s only humane to give all of us a break amid this outbreak,&quot; he added.</p><p>The most common symptoms experienced by NCR teachers are colds (46.6 percent) and coughs (44.5 percent), ACT said, citing its survey.</p><p>ACT said teachers have also reported a drop in class participation &quot;due to many students also having flu.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/01/05/22/bilang-ng-mga-batang-nagkaka-covid-dumami">Bilang ng mga batang nagkakasakit ng COVID-19 dumami</a></li></ul><p>&quot;This time should be 100 percent dedicated to getting better and thus should not be utilized for asynchronous classes nor for webinars or whatnots,&quot; Basilio said.</p><p>ACT believes a 2-week break would be sufficient since it is equivalent to the number of required quarantine days for COVID-positive patients.</p><p>The group&#x27;s survey also showed that 76.2 percent of the teachers &quot;have not received medical support, any leeway at work, or financial aid.&quot;</p><p>As of writing, the Department of Education has yet to respond to ABS-CBN News&#x27; request for a comment.</p><p>In higher education, colleges and universities decide on the declaration of &quot;health breaks,&quot; said Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero De Vera.</p><p>&quot;The policy on declaring &#x27;health/wellness/academic breaks&#x27; has always been a decision of individual HEIs (higher education institutions), based on [the] health conditions on the ground,&quot; De Vera, who is currently battling COVID-19, told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>&quot;There is no need for a change in policy,&quot; he said when asked if the CHED would declare a nationwide &quot;health break.&quot;</p><div><strong>Class suspensions</strong></div><p>Last week, several HEIs and private schools announced class suspensions from Jan. 10 onwards, citing the rise in COVID-19 cases.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/08/22/walangpasok-lunes-enero-10-2022-dahil-sa-covid-19">#WalangPasok: Lunes, Enero 10, 2022 dahil sa COVID-19</a></li></ul><p>The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) said the class suspension period should be used to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination among students and school personnel.</p><p>&quot;School closures will not be the answer... we have to focus more on vaccination,&quot; COCOPEA Managing Director Joseph Noel Estrada said in an interview. </p><p>NCR and its surrounding provinces, where majority of the new COVID-19 cases come from, are under Alert Level 3 until Jan. 15.</p><p>Under Alert Level 3, in-person classes are prohibited in basic education, with students studying through distance learning modalities. Meanwhile, HEIs are allowed to hold face-to-face instruction at 30-percent capacity.</p><p>The Philippines reported 33,169 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, the third straight day that the country had record-high daily cases.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/10/22/ph-posts-33169-new-covid-cases-46pct-positivity-rate">ALL-TIME HIGH: Philippines posts 33,169 new COVID-19 cases</a></li></ul><div><strong>— With a report from Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1887968" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

A teachers' group urges government to declare a 2-week 'health break' in schools under Alert Level 3 after many teachers fell ill.

2-week quarantine 'health break' in Alert Level 3 schools urged

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2-week quarantine 'health break' in Alert Level 3 schools urged

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 11, 2022 02:27 PM PHT

|

Updated Jan 11, 2022 02:53 PM PHT

Read More:

education

health break

class suspension

Alliance of Concerned Teachers

teachers

flu symptoms

Department of Education

distance learning

Covid-19

coronavirus

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