Cities in Central Visayas have suspended their classes due to the rise in COVID-19 cases there, the regional Department of Education office said on Tuesday.
Cebu City, Talisay City, and Carcar City in Cebu and Bais City in Negros Oriental have asked for a health break, DepEd Region 7 said. DepEd regional director Salustiano Jimenez said the local chief executives and the division superintendents coordinated with them for the suspension.
Cebu City will suspend classes from Jan. 17 to 30, followed by Talisay City (Jan. 19 to 28), Carcar City (Jan. 24 to 31), and Bais City (Jan. 16 to 31).
“If the suspension is not more than two weeks but still within the allowable required number of school days in a school year, it is fine.
But if it goes beyond, the division shall prepare a scheme to either extend the year-end or makeup classes,” said Jimenez.
Most of the schools affected in these areas have been adapting to the modular and blended type of learning, he said.
Jimenez disclosed that three teachers, five non-teaching personnel, and a student contracted COVID-19 in the region as of Tuesday.
Since the pandemic began, 2,000 students, faculty and school staff members have recovered from the coronavirus.
The Health department, meanwhile, confirmed 22 cases of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant in the region.
On Monday, DOH data showed that Central Visayas logged 1,101 new coronavirus cases, bringing its total number of infections to 6,686.