Student in Cauayan City becomes COVID-19 positive after attending face-to-face classes

Cauayan City Mayor Bernard Faustino Dy confirmed on Friday that a student, tagged as CV969, from a private school, tested positive for the coronavirus after attending face-to-face classes.

45 other students also attended face-to-face classes, while the thirty-three who had close contact with CV969 have been tested, Dy said.

The infected student experienced mild symptoms and has been placed in an isolation facility.

According to the Cagayan Provincial Information Office (CPIO), CV969 had close contact with a COVID-19 positive city hall employee.

Atty. Reina Santos, speaking on behalf of the city government, explained that ever since modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) was implemented in the province of Isabela, face-to-face classes were already allowed in the city of Cauayan.

This is in line with the Inter-Agency Task Force’s (IATF) guidelines.

Due to precautionary measures, the city decided to order private schools to halt operations.

“It’s a private school which is now temporarily closed din po,” a staff of the Cauayan city government said.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will work with Cauayan City’s government in further investigation of the said face-to-face classes, which the private school wasn’t allowed to conduct and hold on a Sunday.

“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,” Mayor Dy said.

“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 private school’s permit could be revoked if the investigation concludes that violations were committed.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said that face-to-face teaching will be prohibited until a vaccine is created.

“Until the COVID-19 vaccine is available, I will not allow the traditional face-to-face teaching or learning,” he said during his fifth State of the Nation Address.

“Life that is lost is lost forever. Education that is delayed can be recovered,” he added.