Students asked to undergo quarantine

The Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Education (DepEd) asked students and teachers who went to countries infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) during the summer break to observe self-quarantine before going back to school next month.

In a joint advisory, the health and education departments advised schools to require concerned students and teachers to present a medical clearance and undergo evaluation at the school clinics before they report to class.

The directive also covers foreign students coming from SARS-infected countries.

"When high fever is noted within the quarantine period, they should go to the nearest SARS-referral hospitals for appropriate action," DOH acting secretary Antonio Lopez said.

"During this period, their body temperature should be taken twice daily and symptoms of sore throat, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing should be watched out (for)," he added.

Lopez also instructed school officials to advise their students who are still abroad to come back to the country at least two weeks before the scheduled opening of classes on June 16 to give them ample time for the required two-week home quarantine.

Meanwhile, Libya partially lifted yesterday the ban on Filipino workers after the World Health Organization (WHO) removed the Philippines from the list of countries afflicted with SARS.

In a diplomatic note, Libyan Ambassador to Manila Salem Adam had notified the Department of Foreign Affairs about his government’s action.

"Effective May 23, the temporary suspension on order of Filipino workers of Western Jamahiriya Gas Projects bound for Libya is lifted," read the diplomatic note.

The Libyan embassy has still to notify airlines of the new directive from Tripoli.

However, Salem said Filipinos traveling to Libya have to present a SARS-free certificate from the WHO in Manila before they could be allowed entry.

Salem said they also have to get a medical certificate from a Libyan-accredited doctor in the Philippines to prove they have undergone a physical checkup before their departure for Tripoli.

"Filipino workers will have to get medical certificates that they are free from SARS," he said.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople has ordered Philippine embassies and consulates abroad to inform their host countries about the measures and precautions taken by the government to fight SARS.

As a policy, the Philippines requires travelers who come from SARS-infected countries to observe the self-quarantine for two weeks, which is the incubation period for SARS symptoms.

The Philippines’ anti-SARS campaign remained intensive despite its delisting by the WHO from its list of SARS-infected countries.

The deadly disease is still haunting neighboring Asian countries, especially China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and re-infection is always possible according to WHO country representative Jean Marc Olive.

With the SARS-free status that the country is enjoying, Olive has also warned the government and health officials against getting complacent.

Since the SARS outbreak, two of the 12 confirmed cases in the Philippines have died of the killer disease. – With Pia Lee-Brago